Jake LaTurner

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill that will increase government efficiency, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7524) to amend title 40, United States Code, to require the submission of reports on certain information technology services funds to Congress before expenditures may be made, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7524, the GSA Technology Accountability Act. The General Services Administration's Technology and Transformation Services, or TTS, manages several Federal technology projects and initiatives. These projects and initiatives are mostly funded through two funds-- the Citizen Services Fund and the Acquisition Services Fund. There is little transparency, however, into how money from these funds is allocated and what TTS is doing with its resources. This bill requires the administrator of GSA to submit an annual report to Congress regarding each program funded by the Citizen Services Fund and some programs funded by the Acquisition Services Fund. This annual report will include information about funded programs, projects and initiatives, and reimbursements associated with each program. This bill provides much-needed transparency into TTS programs and technology-related projects. I thank Representative Pete Sessions, chairman of the House Oversight Committee Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, and Representative Gerry Connolly for their work on this legislation. I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense bill to increase transparency and provide additional oversight of taxpayer dollars, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), my friend.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense bill to increase transparency and provide additional oversight of taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 272, the ASTRO Act. First of all, let's give respect for the name ASTRO Act. As far as the names of bills go, that ranks way up there as far as the ones I have seen, so high compliments. This will streamline a burdensome administrative process regarding government-provided transportation for astronauts returning from space flight. When astronauts return from space travel, NASA provides them with home-to-work transportation so that the agency can monitor, evaluate, diagnose, and provide these brave men and women with medical treatment until they are medically cleared to drive. Under existing statute, NASA's authorization of this transportation for the astronauts must include concurrent reports to Congress with details about the authorized transportation. Reporting in this manner can be challenging to NASA as it can make it difficult to maintain up- to-date authorizations as crewmembers are replaced or reassigned to different missions. The ASTRO Act will amend current law to enable NASA to authorize the use of official transportation between residence and worksite without such unworkable reporting requirements. However, the bill maintains appropriate congressional transparency by requiring NASA to provide Congress with an annual report on its use of this new authorization. I thank the sponsor of the bill, Congressman Babin, for his work. I also thank the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for its bipartisan support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, while it may sound like a mundane problem, the underlying need for this bill is anything but that. We owe it to these courageous men and women who leave behind families and friends to spend months in space to cut through the red tape and take care of them upon their return. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3354) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 220 North Hatcher Avenue in Purcellville, Virginia, as the ``Secretary of State Madeleine Albright Post Office Building''.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which would name a post office in Purcellville, Virginia, for former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Secretary Albright was born in Prague in 1937 and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1948. In 1993, President Clinton appointed her Ambassador to the United Nations, a position in which she served until her appointment as Secretary of State in 1996, the first woman to be appointed to that position and the highest ranking woman in the history of the U.S. Government at that time. For 50 years, Secretary Albright resided in Loudoun County, where this post office is located. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill honoring an American leader. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which would name a post office in Rayville, Louisiana, for Congressman-elect Luke Letlow. Letlow was a native Louisianan who attended Louisiana Tech University, where he was a member of the Louisiana Tech College Republicans and the Louisiana Federation of College Republicans. As a young college graduate, Letlow was a staff member for former Congressmen John Cooksey and Ralph Abraham as well as Governor Bobby Jindal. In 2020, Letlow launched a successful bid for Louisiana's Fifth Congressional District seat. He was set to be sworn in to the United States House of Representatives on January 3, 2021. Sadly, he passed away from complications due to COVID-19 on December 29, 2020. I support naming a post office in memory of Congressman-elect Letlow, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bill. I would say on a personal note that I consider it a loss to me and to my colleagues to not have the opportunity to serve with Mr. Letlow. We would have been sworn in to Congress on the exact same day. I am grateful, however, to get to serve alongside his wife, Julia, and to get to experience him through her memories of him, and their two beautiful children, Jeremiah and Jacqueline. I am honored to have the opportunity to manage the Republican time on this bill today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Louisiana (Ms. Letlow).

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for his comments. I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of renaming the VA outpatient clinic in Kansas City, Kansas, after Captain Elwin ``Al'' Shopteese. Captain Shopteese was born and raised in Mayetta, Kansas, and was a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Upon graduating high school, he enlisted in the Kansas National Guard and served as part of Company E, 137th Infantry Regiment. He deployed to Europe during World War II and fought in both the invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. Captain Shopteese received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service and selfless sacrifice to our Nation. After returning to Kansas following the Korean war, Captain Shopteese served as a Tribal council member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and helped create the Indian Community Alcoholism Resources Expeditors Recovery Home. Captain Shopteese's profound legacy of service to our country and to the Native American community will live on for generations to come. I am proud to join my fellow Kansans in introducing legislation to rename the clinic after this American hero and a member of the Greatest Generation. Honoring the Life of Ken Brock

Mr. LaTURNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory of Ken Brock, a dear friend of mine and a pillar in the southeast Kansas community. Ken graduated from Fort Scott High School and served in the Kansas Army National Guard before founding Names and Numbers, a business that published easy-to-use local phone books. Ken grew Names and Numbers with his wife, Debbie, into one of the leading independent directory companies in the country. In addition to being a successful entrepreneur and major job creator, Ken was passionate about strengthening our communities and bringing new economic development to the region. He served as the chairman of the Highway 69 Association and successfully led the charge to expand Highway 69 to a four-lane route from Kansas City to Pittsburg. Ken was also active on the Pittsburg State University campus, serving on numerous boards and advisory committees. Growing up in southeast Kansas, I know firsthand the profound impact Ken had on our region. Ken was a joyful person, a dedicated person, always putting his family, community, and country ahead of himself. He is someone you would have wanted on your side, and I was glad that he was on mine. It has been an honor to get to know him and his family over the years, and I am grateful for all that he has done. Ken Brock passed away this past December, but his legacy of faith, family, and community will not be forgotten. Celebrating the Life of Senator Bob Marshall

Mr. LaTURNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory of State Senator Bob Marshall, who passed away this past September. Bob Marshall attended the University of Kansas, where he became a four-sport letterman and played basketball alongside the legendary Wilt Chamberlain. He was a tremendous athlete and a tremendous competitor, something I learned firsthand. Upon graduating KU, Senator Marshall was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and flew vital reconnaissance missions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He left active duty in 1965 and became a commercial airline pilot for the next 33 years before switching gears and taking on the role as athletic director at Fort Scott Community College. Bob was elected to the Kansas State Senate in 2009, where he served on the transportation, economic development, education, and local government committees, securing crucial funding for universities across our State. Senator Marshall worked tirelessly to strengthen our communities and serve hardworking Kansas families. I am honored to have the opportunity to have gotten to know him. He will be greatly missed in Kansas. Congratulating Randy Linck on His Retirement