Blaine Luetkemeyer

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Weston Basler, of the Seckman High School Jaguars Wrestling team, on his win in the 132 Class 4 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Weston Basler for a job well done!

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 122 I was not present due to being unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no''.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th Anniversary of the Missouri Farm Bureau Federation. The Missouri Farm Bureau has been a champion of advocating for farmers the past century. Over the years, this organization has built a reputation of service based on credibility, integrity, and thorough knowledge of the issues-- a reputation that continues to grow. On March 24, 1915, the county Farm Bureau movement changed forever. A group of farmers and ranchers gathered in Saline County to organize the nation's first state Farm Bureau organization. Since then, Missouri Farm Bureau has continued to grow in strength and is the state's most effective organization that works to improve the quality of life for farmers, rural Missouri, and all Missourians. When members join, their voice is heard at the county, state, and national level. Over these one hundred years, Missouri Farm Bureau has worked on various issues on the state and national level that would affect the farming industry. This organization is also committed to teaching consumers and school children how crop/food production affects their daily lives. By educating future generations about the importance of agriculture, this industry will continue to be successful. As a farmer and member of Missouri Farm Bureau, it is a privilege to recognize the impact this organization has had on the agriculture industry and families in Missouri. I am confident that Missouri Farm Bureau will continue to succeed in the years to come. I ask you in joining me in recognizing the 100th Anniversary of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in acknowledging Kidney Day at the Missouri State Capitol on Thursday, March 5, 2015. This important day is supported by the Missouri Kidney Program and the National Kidney Foundation. The mission of the Missouri Kidney Program is to help meet the educational needs, and to promote the physical and mental well-being of eligible Missouri residents with Chronic Kidney Disease. The National Kidney Foundation participates in research that is helping advance knowledge about chronic kidney disease, treatment, and patient outcomes. The Missouri Kidney Program and the National Kidney Foundation should both be commended for highlighting three major areas of kidney disease: awareness, prevention, and treatment. The Missouri Kidney Program strives to increase public awareness of the need for organ donation and to encourage kidney donations for transplantation. The goal of the National Kidney Foundation is to reach those at risk before kidney disease occurs, and impact those in earliest stages so that progression to later-stage disease is no longer inevitable. I ask you in joining me in recognizing the dedication of the Missouri Kidney Program and the National Kidney Foundation.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Connor Flynn, of the Francis Howell High School Vikings Wrestling team, on his win in the 160 Class 4 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Connor Flynn for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Zach Benner, of the Fulton High School Hornets Wrestling team, on his win in the 195 Class 2 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Zach Benner for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Chance Cooper, of the Timberland High School Wolves Wrestling team, on his win in the 195 Class 4 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Chance Cooper for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Sidney Oliver, of the Holt High School Indians Wrestling team, on his win in the 113 Class 4 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Sidney Oliver for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Trenton Clines, of the Fulton High School Hornets Wrestling team, on his win in the 145 Class 2 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Trenton Clines for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dalton Voyles, of the Pacific High School Indians Wrestling team, on his win in the 182 Class 3 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Dalton Voyles for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Colby Smith, of the Holt High School Indians Wrestling team, on his win in the 126 Class 4 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Colby Smith for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Kyran Hagan, of the Eureka High School Wildcat Wrestling team, on his win in the 120 Class 4 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Kyran Hagan for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Josh McClure, of the Fulton High School Hornets Wrestling team, on his win in the 138 Class 2 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Josh McClure for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Caleb Gossett, of the Francis Howell Central High School Spartans Wrestling team, on his win in the 285 Class 4 2015 State Wrestling Championship match. This student and his coach should be commended for all of their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. I ask you in joining me in recognizing Caleb Gossett for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a constituent of mine, Mr. Herb Homeyer, President of Homeyer Precision Manufacturing in Marthasville, MO. Mr. Homeyer will be named the 2015 National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) Chairman of the Board on Thursday, March 5, 2015. As the national representative of the precision custom manufacturing industry, Mr. Homeyer will tell the story of the NTMA. Backed by nearly 2000 members and representing more than $40 billion in sales, the clout collectively wielded by this association is considerable. NTMA serves as a valuable national resource for their members, helping them grow profitably. Homeyer Precision Manufacturing serves key clients in the industries of Aerospace/Defense, Commercial/Industrial, Military, Medical/ Pharmaceutical, Oil & Gas/Energy, Semiconductors/Lasers, Electrical/ Electronics, and Transportation/Agriculture. The company and its 63 employees are also major supporters of Manufacturing Day. They opened their doors to over 150 students for a facility tour to help reach out to the next generation and to show what opportunities are available in manufacturing not only in their community, but in the United States. Herb Homeyer's 43 years in precision manufacturing began as a tool/ die maker, then a tool designer, and finally an owner of a company specializing in aerospace tooling, medical, laser components, and high voltage transmission. Homeyer Precision Manufacturing is one of over 1400 companies that are members of the NTMA that supports U.S. manufacturing and creates employment opportunities in their communities. Tools, dies, molds, precision machining, and special machines shape virtually every single product that is mass manufactured in the United States. This industry is at the very heart of manufacturing in this country and therefore it touches the lives of every American. It is an honor to have the new chairman of the NTMA from not only my home state of Missouri, but also the 3rd District of Missouri.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Katia Steinbeck for winning the KRCG 13 and Missouri Retired Teachers Association Excellent Educator Award for 2014. Ms. Steinbeck is a 3rd grade teacher at St. Elizabeth Elementary School, which is located in my hometown of St. Elizabeth, MO. She won the Excellent Educator Award for the month of March earlier in 2014, and then proceeded to receive the Excellent Educator Award Teacher of the Year for 2014 in May of last year. Providing a quality education for the nation's youth is a top priority of mine, and I commend educators like Ms. Steinbeck who take steps to enhance the classroom experience for their students, and recognize the amount of personal time all teachers spend to create a better learning environment for our nation's schoolchildren. Outside of the home, our teachers have the most impact on our children's development. By supporting our schools, and most importantly our teachers, both at home and in Washington, we come closer to ensuring that our children are prepared for the future. Ms. Steinbeck's dedication and commitment to the students of the St. Elizabeth community is exemplary, and I applaud Ms. Steinbeck for her outstanding success thus far in the field of teaching. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating Katia Steinbeck for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hensarling and Chairman Neugebauer for their tireless work on this important issue, and I tell my colleagues that while TRIA is an important program, it is also in need of reform. This bill that we are considering today does just that in a responsible way, and I urge support of it. Let there be no mistake: this bill reforms the TRIA program. It takes important steps to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure that industry has more skin in the game. Also, I remind my colleagues that without TRIA, it is entirely possible that taxpayers would be on the hook for the entire bill in the wake of a terrorist attack. This legislation includes a strong recoupment mechanism and a higher threshold for Federal assistance, building a program that has a long-term reauthorization with greater protections for taxpayers. The legislation we are considering today, however, does more than reauthorize TRIA. It also contains important language to ensure derivative end users, including farmers, ranchers, utilities, airlines, and small businesses, can lock in prices, remove volatility from the marketplace, and keep consumer prices stable. Without this fix, those farmers, ranchers, and Main Street businesses will have to post margin against trades they enter into for the sole purpose of managing their commercial risk. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage and support of this bill.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2759. This bill, introduced by Senators McCaskill and Blunt from Missouri, authorizes the closure of the St. Clair Regional Airport in St. Clair, Missouri, once all obligations to Federal taxpayers have been repaid. St. Clair is a small town of 4,700 in my district, about 50 miles southwest of St. Louis. The city has operated an airport since the sixties, but in the past decade, a consensus within the community has been reached that the airport should be closed and the land utilized as part of a larger economic development plan for the region. This effort has broad support in the city of St. Clair from the mayor, the city council, the school board, the fire district, and the local chamber of commerce. The only thing holding up this plan is the continued reluctance of Federal regulators to give the go-ahead. The city approached the Missouri Department of Transportation in 2008 and the FAA in 2012, seeking closure of the airport, but the FAA keeps moving the goalposts, giving itself multiple extensions and leaving this small town confused and frustrated, with no end in sight. As a small business owner myself from a town even smaller than St. Clair, I can tell you that red tape from Federal regulators is one of the biggest obstacles to economic growth in small communities. This legislation provides a simple fix to what has become an unnecessarily complicated issue in this community's attempt to provide growth opportunities in its area. I should note that there are three other general aviation airports within a 30-mile radius of St. Clair, and the Missouri Department of Transportation has indicated the closure of the airport will not have an adverse effect on aviation in Missouri. Under the bill, in order for the city to qualify for the release from the FAA, it must transfer amounts previously used for the airport's capital improvements toward the improvement of other general aviation facilities in the area. Under S. 2759, taxpayers will be made whole, and the city will be permitted to move forward with new economic development plans. S. 2759 is bipartisan and has passed the Senate unanimously. Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation so we can take a step forward in cutting through this red tape for the people of St. Clair, Missouri.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers), who is the lead cosponsor of this legislation.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), the distinguished chairman of the Agriculture Committee.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials for the Record on H.R. 3240, currently under consideration,

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3240) to instruct the Comptroller General of the United States to study the impact of Regulation D, and for other purposes.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The legislation we consider today is a bipartisan, noncontroversial, and commonsense change that will ultimately allow for greater small business capital formation and job creation. H.R. 4200, the SBIC Advisers Relief Act, streamlines reporting requirements for advisers to small business investment companies, or SBICs. These are advisers to investment funds who make long-term investments in U.S. small businesses and who have to the tune of more than $63 billion since 1958. Under current law and for more than 55 years, SBICs have been regulated and closely supervised by the Small Business Administration. The existing regulatory regime surrounding SBICs includes an in-depth examination of management, strong investment rules, operational requirements, recordkeeping, examination and reporting mandates, and conflict of interest rules. These entities and the management of these entities are anything but unregulated. The need for exemptions for SBICs and their advisers has been well- recognized by Congress. Congress' intent by including some of these exemptions in previous legislation was to reduce the regulatory burdens facing smaller funds and SBICs. This bill fixes some unintended consequences that have arisen and need to be addressed. The SBIC Advisers Relief Act does so by doing three things: number one, it allows advisers who jointly advise SBICs and venture funds to be exempt from registration, combining two separate exemptions that already exist; number two, it excludes SBIC assets from the SEC's assets under management threshold calculation; number three, it allows SBIC funds with less than $90 million in assets under management to be regulated solely by the SBA, as they are today. The Financial Services Committee has thoroughly examined the bipartisan legislation in both a legislative hearing and a markup. H.R. 4200 garnered praise from members on both sides of the aisle and from witnesses who testified on the bill in an April hearing. This noncontroversial legislation passed the committee by a vote of 56-0 in May. It is also important to note that the legislation includes suggestions made by the SEC. Most importantly, this legislation includes sensible provisions that prevent redundant regulatory mandates and allow for a greater investment in America's small businesses. I want to thank Congresswoman Maloney for her help on this bill, and I ask my colleagues for their support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.