Tom McClintock

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the gentleman from Arizona on an inspiring and eloquent speech on a subject that has nothing to do with the bill at hand. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), the author of this measure.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 2606) to amend the Act of August 4, 1947 (commonly known as the Stigler Act), with respect to restrictions applicable to Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma, and for other purposes.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt the issues raised by the gentleman will be addressed in the future. In the meantime, this bill addresses an important matter to the Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma, and I would ask for its adoption. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6602) to reauthorize the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route, and for other purposes.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route was authorized by Congress in 1988, and it runs along the entire eastern coast of New Jersey. The National Park Service, the State of New Jersey, the Pinelands Commission, and other local organizations have partnered to promote recreation and appreciation of New Jersey's coastal areas along that route. The route links wildlife refuges, historic sites, and natural areas to tell the story of New Jersey's role in shaping U.S. history and in providing important habitat for birds and other wildlife. The coalition's efforts to enhance public enjoyment and access bring more visitors to these special places from New Jersey and beyond. H.R. 6602 will reauthorize the Secretary of the Interior's authority to co-manage the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route through 2025 and to provide technical assistance. This authority expired in 2011. Congressman Frank LoBiondo should be commended for his support for his constituents and for the Coastal Heritage Trail, and I am pleased to move this legislation before his retirement from the House. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, Congressman LoBiondo is going to be retiring from this House after many, many years of distinguished service at the close of this session, and it has been my distinct honor and pleasure to serve with him. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor and pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo).

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I join Mr. Grijalva in asking for the support of this Chamber of this measure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Randy Hanvelt for his devoted service as a Tuolumne County Supervisor. Supervisor Hanvelt was first elected to serve the 2nd District of Tuolumne County in 2010 and has worked incessantly on behalf of his constituents ever since. In his years of service, Randy Hanvelt has transformed the job of a County Supervisor. He has relentlessly pursued a better way of life for the residents of Tuolumne County; never missing an opportunity to share his message, express his passion, and inspire others to advocate for rural issues. In addition to serving on more than a dozen regional committees and commissions, Supervisor Hanvelt was elected Second Vice Chair to the Rural County Representatives of California in December 2016. He served as both the Second and First Vice Chairs during his tenure as Tuolumne County Supervisor. In July 2018, Supervisor Hanvelt was appointed chair of the National Association of Counties' Public Lands Policy Steering Committee. In 2017, the California Forestry Association awarded Randy the title of ``Conservationist of the Year.'' Supervisor Hanvelt has worked tirelessly on behalf of his district and the entirety of Tuolumne County. He has advocated locally and nationally for full funding of Payments in Lieu of Taxes, the Secure Rural Schools Program, and Forest Health projects, including Rim Fire Recovery and the County's Master Stewardship Agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. Randy has also been an instrumental leader in developing programs and securing funding to eradicate dead and hazardous trees. Supervisor Randy Hanvelt has truly been at the forefront in making Tuolumne County a more prosperous place. He has set a new standard for local leaders and his service to the community is incomparable.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, for those of us who have had the honor and privilege of working with our departing colleagues in the California Republican Congressional delegation, this is a very sad day. For us, yes, we are losing friends and colleagues whose good judgment we have often relied upon and whose friendship we will always treasure. But far more importantly, it is a sad day for our State and our Nation, for they are losing the service of experienced leaders dedicated to restoring freedom as the cornerstone of our public policy. David Valadao and Jeff Denham ably represented communities in the Central Valley of California, in highly competitive districts where Republican voters have always been a distinct minority. And yet, their sincere engagement with their constituencies and their pragmatic approach to their local challenges and problems saw them elected and re-elected in the House. When we served together in the State Senate, Jeff Denham refused to vote for an irresponsible State budget. Public employee unions tried to recall him for it, but the voters stood by him. No one doubts that, but for the hyper-partisan tone of these unique times, they would have both been handily re-elected. I first met Ed Royce 37 years ago when we served together in the California Legislature. When he was already a recognized leader in the State Senate, one Saturday afternoon, I found him, to my stunned surprise, wearing an apron and working behind the counter at a coffeehouse he had just acquired. That work ethic, combined with his quiet and unassuming nature and keen ability to cut through rhetoric to reach bedrock reality, has made him one of the most effective Members of the House and someone I greatly admire. I met Dana Rohrabacher a few years later when he first ran for Congress in 1988. It has been said that if you look up Orange County in the dictionary, you will find his picture. For three decades, he has been an icon in Southern California, representing the conservative ideals, the libertarian leanings, and the casual lifestyle that define the big OC of that era, an era that now closes with his departure from Congress. In 1993, I met Darrell Issa when he became a driving force on the board of directors at the Claremont Institute, a think tank devoted to putting American founding principles back into the public policy debate. That same driving belief in freedom and free markets had already made him a titan of industry and would soon make him an effective and tireless advocate for these principles in Congress. More recently, I have had the honor to serve with Mimi Walters and Steve Knight. I can tell you that when Mimi sets her mind on something, she is terrifying. She pursues her objectives with all of the subtlety and nuance of a heat-seeking missile. Her constituents had an advocate who pulled out all the stops on their behalf, something I think they will come to appreciate in retrospect. I served with Steve Knight's dad in the State Senate and, at that time, represented the adjoining district. I have sat with Steve every day on this floor during votes, and I can say with some authority that he is the full measure of his father and then some. Never have I known a colleague to agonize more in order to weigh his votes for the betterment of his community and his country. He is a man of quiet and firm principle, a voice that I predict his constituents will also come to sorely miss. You know, Churchill once observed that politics are just as interesting as war, and much more exciting, for in war, you can be shot dead only once, but in politics, many times. I have found that to be true over my political career, and it is from that fact that springs my hope that we will see all these heroes back in new and more influential roles in the years ahead.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, every nation has a natural right and a fundamental responsibility to determine who is admitted within its borders. This is what defines a country and ultimately determines whether its culture, customs, and institutions will endure. The unique qualities that develop within each country's borders naturally make some countries more desirable places to live than others. These differences drive immigration patterns. The more successful a nation, the greater the demand to immigrate to it, and ours is the most successful in human history. Most of the world's 7\1/2\ billion people live in violent and impoverished conditions, and it is no wonder that they find the United States an attractive alternative. Yet uncontrolled and indiscriminate immigration from those countries to ours risks importing the same undesirable conditions that encouraged their immigration in the first place. History offers us many examples of great civilizations that have succumbed to this paradox, and the current crisis on our southern border poses a fundamental test of whether ours may join them. America has traditionally welcomed the truly persecuted who have escaped to our shores, but what is unfolding today makes a mockery of our asylum laws. This was not a peaceful caravan of asylum seekers, as many have attempted to portray. A caravan is a group of people traveling legally and peacefully through a foreign land. An invasion is a group of people attempting to violate a nation's border by force, whether by military or mob action. The vast majority camped on our southern border are military-aged males. Authorities have already identified roughly 600 as known criminals, and Mexican law enforcement has reportedly arrested roughly 100 for crimes committed in their country. The fact that this force has attacked both Mexican and U.S. law enforcement, with several injuries reported, contradicts any claims that, as a group, they come with peaceful intent. Nor are they asylum seekers in any conventional sense. No doubt many are nonviolent and simply caught up in the group dynamic of a mob. But poverty and violence in a country does not entitle every person in it to enter ours. Asylum is reserved for those who have been specifically targeted for harm by their own government based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or social group, and who have entered directly into our country from their own. In these instances, asylum is reached by crossing a border and accomplishing separation from that government. A Central American arriving in Mexico has already achieved this and, therefore, has no call on asylum in any other country. The appropriate request to make is to the Government of Mexico, a request some have already made and Mexico has granted. Nothing succeeds like success. If this group is allowed to muscle its way into the United States, we can expect many and still larger groups to follow. If anything, this crisis should emphasize the importance of completing the border wall that Congress first authorized in 1996 and President Trump is desperately trying to construct. A forceful incursion of our border can be repelled only by applying equal or greater force. That is a recipe for violence and bloodshed. The physical separation provided by a wall can prevent that. It not only protects the officers who place their lives on the line in defense of our law, it also protects the lawbreakers themselves from the violent conduct that their behavior otherwise would make inevitable. Orderly immigration, regulated by law and protected by secure borders, is a prerequisite to a civilized and prosperous nation. If our immigration laws are not enforced, then our borders become meaningless and America becomes a vast, open territory between Canada and Mexico susceptible to every social, political, and economic disorder brought to it. This seems to be the ultimate aim of the American left and its powerful chorus in the media. We are fortunate in this crisis to have a President obedient to his constitutional command to ``take care that the laws be faithfully executed.'' In the remaining days of this session, Congress has a responsibility to give him the tools to do so. It remains one of the great remaining tests of the 115th Congress.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the Gold Star Mothers of Northern California: Carolyn Acosta, Mother of Spc. Rudy Acosta; Loretta J. Bridges, Mother of Staff Sgt. Steven Bridges; Betty Hall, Mother of Sgt. 1st Class Bryan E. Hall; Satnam Kaur, Mother of Cpl. Gurpreet Singh; Dianne Layfield, Mother of LCpl. Travis Layfield; Suzy Maddox, Mother of Sgt. Matthew William Maddox; Jan Martinez, Mother of Private 1st Class Jesse Jack Martinez; Debbie Mason, Mother of Spc. Roy Brooks Mason; Karen Meredith, Mother of 1st Lt. Ken Ballard; Rinda Pope, Mother of Private 1st Class Alexander R. Varela; Patricia Schumacher, Mother of LCpl. Victor Dew. These are the Mothers of brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of their country. The Gold Star Mothers of Northern California highlight perhaps the most binding characteristic of these heroes: they are family. They come from the towns occupying the vast valleys and foothills of Northern California. They come from high schools and churches that produce some of America's greatest minds. But most importantly, they come from the homes of loving families. When we as a nation lose a soldier and a patriot, these Mothers lose a child. We must remember that for the families of these fallen heroes, as with countless other families in our country, every day is Memorial Day. Time, sadly, does not heal all wounds. The grief of our Gold Star Mothers is just as great today as the day the casualty officer came to their door. Their loss is a heavy burden that they carry with them every day. Nonetheless, they persevere to keep alive the spirit of their brave children. I have heard many stories of the young men from Northern California who have fallen in combat--among them; Garret Pant, Jeremiah McCleery, Joshua Hardt, Victor Dew, and Sky Mote. By all accounts, these young men wanted to serve their country from the time they were in grade school. They sacrificed their lives and their promising futures to protect their fellow countrymen, and for that, we owe them a tremendous debt. Although we can never repay that debt, we can always remind these Mothers of our respect and appreciation for the sacrifices their children made and the work they are doing to carry on the legacy of each and every fallen soldier. It is organizations like the Gold Star Mothers of Northern California that keep their memories alive so that we as a nation pay tribute to them every day. These Mothers carry out the promise to our fallen heroes set forth by Reagan: ``That just as they did not forget their missing comrades, neither, ever, will we.''

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, congratulations to Scoutmaster Mitch Gorsen and all the leaders and young people of Eagle Scout Troop 121 on its 50th anniversary. It has been 50 years of amazing success, culminating in the 300th young man from the troop being recently awarded an Eagle. Troop 121 is known for its adventurous spirit, sending Scouts to New Mexico, to the wilds of northern Minnesota and to Sea Base in Florida to experience a range of physical and mental challenges that mold Eagles. A major force in the success of Troop 121 was the presence of John Hooten who passed away in March. John served as Scoutmaster for more than 20 years, motivating many to attain the highest rank of Eagle Scout. His contributions will never be forgotten. Troop 121 is well positioned to continue its mission of providing a quality Scouting program for the young men and women in the Granite Bay/South Placer area. I wish them continued success in helping create America's future leaders.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present this bill on behalf of its author, Mr. Huffman, and its cosponsor, Chairman Bishop. Chairman Bishop has also asked that I commend my colleague from California for his work and collaboration on this measure. Representative Huffman worked to forge consensus with diverse local stakeholders on a complicated issue. When we found local solutions that the local people agree is the answer, as has been done here, we should do everything we can on both sides of the aisle to advance the solution forward. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask for adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6687) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to manage the Point Reyes National Seashore in the State of California consistent with Congress' longstanding intent to maintain working dairies and ranches on agricultural property as part of the seashore's unique historic, cultural, scenic and natural values, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5420, by Congressman Faso of New York, would allow 89 acres to be added to the historic site that was Franklin Roosevelt's lifelong home and birthplace in Hyde Park, New York, which was designated as a National Historic Site in 1944. The land is currently owned by the Scenic Hudson Land Trust, and they would like to deed it to the National Park Service. The addition would provide important context for visitors and better connectivity to the Hyde Park Trail that links the FDR National Historic Site to the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site to the north. The addition would not require any outlay of Federal funds. The transfer would be by donation, exchange, or purchase, using donated funds only. I would like to commend Congressman Faso for sponsorship of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5420) to authorize the acquisition of land for addition to the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site in the State of New York, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. 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 bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask for adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading.