Patrick Meehan

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. I want to thank the gentleman, and I want to thank him for his hard work on this bill. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Pennsylvania has put together a fiscally responsible piece of legislation that will support the U.S. military, the military families, and the veterans who have served our country. As you have heard in the discussions that have taken place with other colleagues, particularly with those from Pennsylvania, when red tape and mismanagement stand between a veteran and his or her care, we all have a responsibility to blow the whistle and to call for appropriate reforms. The inspector general for Veterans Affairs released a report 2 weeks ago on the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Regional Office, as my colleague identified, and the report was even more scathing than we were led to believe it would be. It confirmed our worst fears--that the Philadelphia VA Regional Office is rife with systematic mismanagement, poor morale, the deliberate manipulation of data, and individuals who are more focused on misleading the Nation than on serving our veterans. I would like to thank Chairman Miller on the Veterans' Affairs Committee for convening a hearing on these reports just last week in order to explore these matters in greater detail. Out of those hearings, we learned that the VA isn't planning on holding anyone responsible until after the completion of yet another report. This may be the nature of the process, but it is deeply troubling. What the VA needs is not an endless loop of bureaucratic reviews and inquires--it is competent management that is needed, management that will hold the employees and the other management accountable. While we wait for the next report, with this bill, Congress has an opportunity to take reform action with VA H.R. 2029, which will give the VA employees the tools they need to expedite the veterans benefits and care process. One of the findings from the IG report that stuck out at me was that, in Philadelphia, the average response time for some 31,000 inquiries was 312 days. According to policy, that response should have happened within 5 days. I asked the Director of the VA: What do you tell the veterans? He had no answer. That response time is completely unacceptable. The funding in this bill will provide additional staff to expedite the processing of these claims and get those veterans the benefits they deserve. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) for his hard work on this bill. I look forward to continuing to work with him, as well as with other colleagues, to bring about the important reforms that are needed at the Philadelphia benefits office.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. I thank the chairman for his recognition and support of this very, very--once again--thematically important bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of what is commonsense legislation, H.R. 1314. What it does is gives tax-exempt status applicants whose application is denied the right to appeal that decision. That seems fundamental, doesn't it, in a country likes ours, where the Constitution built within it the concept of the right to petition your government for the decisions that they make. The purpose of the legislation is simple. What it will do is codify in statute the requirement for the IRS to create a mechanism by which 501(c) organizations--tax-exempt organizations--if they get an adverse determination of their tax-exempt status, they can request an administrative appeal to the agency's internal Office of Appeals. My colleague from Illinois talked about the concept here of impunity. To me, this is a lot of what this speaks to. The idea that an administrative agency--in this case, the IRS--will take this application and then would make a decision--it was because of the good work that was done in the previous Congress by this committee and the Oversight Subcommittee of this committee, that they exposed the reality that, in many cases, these particular appeals, these particular decisions, were being made after the applicant was being targeted because of the fact that they had chosen to express particular political views in the context of their application. What was done was that those applications, once denied, were diverted to a different part of the structure in which they went to die. That made the IRS the judge; the jury; and, in fact, the executioner because you were done with respect to your application. There was no place else to go. Now, I have to say that, when this came to light because of the work of this committee, the IRS did issue interim guidance in May 2014 that ensured that all groups subject to a denial would have the right to appeal the decision. This bill today, H.R. 1314, codifies that guidance into law so there is no ambiguity and that, once again, we don't have the ability of the IRS to indiscriminately and sua sponte make their own decisions about when American taxpayers should have the right to be able to petition for an appeal of an adverse decision. Mr. Speaker, I will enter in the Record a letter from the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council which supports the legislation. The group writes: ``H.R. 1314 is an important bill as it allows taxpayers an additional right to petition their government when they disagree with a decision.'' That is the fundamental challenge that we have to the impunity which has been taking place. Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, Vienna, VA, April 13, 2015. Hon. Pat Meehan, Cannon Building, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Meehan: The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council is pleased to support H.R. 1314, a bill that would allow for an appeals process for those organizations that are denied tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). H.R. 1314 is an important bill as it allows taxpayers an additional right to petition their government when they disagree with a decision by the IRS to deny tax-exempt status. Given the clear and well-documented bias by IRS staff that thwarted and delayed the approval of organizations based on their ideology, more accountability and protection for taxpayers is needed. H.R. 1314 provides that check. Thank you for your leadership on this important issue. Sincerely, Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO.

Mr. MEEHAN. I urge my colleagues, as they have on our subcommittee and our committee with their unanimous support from both sides of the aisle, to support this commonsense taxpayer protection and to send an unmistakable signal to the American taxpayers that they should not be targeted by the IRS for their political views.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I think the point has been made very articulately by all of the speakers who have talked about what really is a fundamental and simple issue, which is the right to appeal to your government. What concerned me the most when we began to look at what occurred with the IRS conduct in the context of the applications by the organizations which were denied based on their perceived political views or religious views, that the process for these particular applicants was changed; that it went to a different division, where, as my colleague from Illinois identified, it went to die in the cul-de- sac. So this is a question of fundamental fairness, that every American taxpayer should have the right to be treated equally. That is all we are asking for here, fundamental, equal treatment, and the right, when you disagree with the decision by an IRS administrative official, to have somebody else question that decision. That is fundamental. It is simple. It is basic American, and I am very proud that we have colleagues from both sides of the aisle who have joined together to petition to assure that that right is codified into law. That is what we accomplish today. I am grateful for the support of all of my colleagues and the leadership of the chairman of the subcommittee, who has been helping to bring to light these abuses. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Mr. Gregory L. Reitze for his lifelong dedication as a firefighter in his community of Middletown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Reitze has been a member of Middletown Fire Company for the past 50 years. His duties have ranged from Assistant Engineer to Fire Chief, in 1997 and 1998. He has been named Fireman of the Year twice, in 1966 and 1998. For 50 straight years, Gregory has been named ``A Top Ten of Middletown Fire Company responders.'' When not fighting fires, he owns and operates a contracting business in Middletown Township and sits on the Middletown Township Planning Commission. Mr. Reitze has dedicated his life to serving others in his community, putting the safety of others before himself. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Gregory Reitze's 50 years of service to Middletown Township. On behalf of the 7th district of Pennsylvania, we thank him for his efforts.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. W. Scott Reitze for his lifelong public service to Middletown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Reitze has been a member of the Middletown Township Fire Company since 1965. Throughout his tenure he has held positions of Chief Engineer, the Chairman of Company Apparatus Committee, and Fire Chief for the Company for 14 years. He was named Fireman of the Year in 1970 and 2002. Scott now sits on the Board of Directors. He is a retired engineer with the Kimberly Clark Corporation. Over the last 50 years, Scott Reitze has put others before himself and he continues to do so. His years of dedicated service are a testament of what the Middletown Township community means to him. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to recognize Mr. W. Scott Reitze and thank him for his service to Pennsylvania.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. This is the product of several years of sustained bipartisan work, and, today, we can finish the job. This is a critically important piece of legislation for seniors because it is going to strengthen and preserve the Medicare Program, and it is going to put an end to the perennial drills that threaten seniors' access to high-quality care, the care that they deserve. H.R. 2 is a result of bipartisan compromise. I am sure my friends on both sides of the aisle can agree, as my good friend from Oregon identified, that it isn't perfect, but I am pleased that they will also extend funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. Just like our seniors, we need to make sure that our kids have access to high- quality, affordable care. We also continue to support community health centers, which provide quality care for those of lesser means. Since 2002, Congress has passed 17 patches to avert the SGR's draconian cuts. These patches avoid crisis, but they don't do anything to preserve or improve the Medicare Program for current and future seniors, so I am delighted that, together, we can finally forge a lasting solution. This isn't just good for seniors' care and for our healthcare workforce; it is a sign that partisan differences in Washington can be bridged to address our biggest challenges. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I hope the Senate will send it to the President and get it signed quickly.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Dr. James Capolupo of Springfield, Pennsylvania for being named the Superintendent of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. Dr. Capolupo began his career as a music teacher and band director before rising to serve as an administrator in the Springfield Township School District. His talents and dedication to his students led him to be named the district's superintendent in 2005. Under his leadership, the district has become a model for innovative and effective instruction. His reputation has spread beyond the district, with representatives from more than 120 other school districts having visited Springfield to learn more about Dr. Capolupo's methods. Dr. Capolupo earned national recognition last year when he was named a finalist for National Superintendent of the Year by the National Association of School Superintendents. This distinction is awarded to five superintendents around the country who have created a ``model of uncompromising dedication to literacy and academic achievement.'' So it is no surprise to learn of his recognition as Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year. I wish to congratulate Dr. Capolupo and the entire staff at Springfield School District for their hard work on our children's behalf.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 76 years of service that Calvin Greene has given to Bart Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Calvin has lived his entire life in Bart Township, having grown up on a farm that has belonged to his family since 1832. He spent his career doing what he loved: farming. He ran his farm as a dairy farm, milking cows until 1997 before crop farming. He retired in 2008. Calvin's farm won the 2014 Conservation Award from the Lancaster County Conservation District in recognition of his farm's commitment to preserving our environment. Calvin has been a dedicated servant of his community, serving on the Bart Township Planning Commission and the township's Zoning Hearing Board. He has served as a Bart Township Supervisor since 1988. Calvin has three children, six grandchildren and one great grandchild with his wife Valeria. He's a life-long member of the Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church, where he's taught Sunday School. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank Calvin Greene for his leadership for his community and nation.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 65 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment No. 6 Offered by Ms. Jackson Lee

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4007, which is the Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities From Terrorist Attacks Act of 2014. This bipartisan legislation went through regular order, and it passed the House in July by voice vote. It now returns to us from the Senate where, yesterday, it passed by unanimous consent. H.R. 4007 is enthusiastically supported by the industry stakeholders it most directly impacts, as well as the Department of Homeland Security which is responsible for its implementation. While it was in the Senate, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee of the Senate made improvements to the House-passed version of the bill that take into account the interests of the labor unions who staff many facilities while, at the same time, strengthening the program overall and making it more workable and more effective for all parties involved. These changes were thoroughly vetted with industry, labor, and the Department itself, and they are widely endorsed. As a result, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4007 represents the culmination of a productive collaboration between my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and those in my conference, the House and the Senate, industry, labor, and the Federal Government. Over the course of the past year, through multiple hearings and countless meetings, all of us have worked in partnership to take an honest look at the CFATS program to look at its strengths and shortcomings and to develop a straightforward, practically-minded piece of legislation to improve the program overall. Mr. Speaker, prior to the attacks of September 11, Congress had established an array of laws aimed at preventing environmental disasters at facilities that produce or store potentially dangerous chemicals. While those laws remain, Congress and the Department of Homeland Security developed CFATS specifically to prevent an intentional attack on chemical facilities. The CFATS program requires DHS to develop a set of vulnerability assessment standards for chemical plants and to implement a corresponding set of regulations to protect the highest- risk facilities from a physical attack. Despite what we would all agree are the best intentions, it is no secret that CFATS struggled in its earlier years from implementation problems to management flaws to insufficient feedback from the facilities. These were highlighted in the aftermath of the devastating explosion at a chemical facility in West, Texas. CFATS had a rocky start. To make matters worse, for the past 4 years, CFATS has relied on appropriations for its existence with no authorization from Congress and no official guidance. This bill is a major breakthrough; CFATS will be reauthorized for the very first time. With that authorization, both Chambers of Congress are finally able to provide smart, binding guidelines to improve the operation of the program, measure progress, and enhance security. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of this legislation. I am particularly grateful for the bipartisan support. I know that there have been moments of disagreement, and there may continue to be points in which there are some modicum of issues of disagreement, but the overall collective bipartisan work on this issue, taking into account the efforts of management, labor, government, and industry, has resulted in what I believe to be a very substantial and important piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to send H.R. 4007 to the President's desk so we can ensure that proper measures are in place to secure the Nation's vast network of chemical facilities and to keep our facilities safe from harm. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to express my deep appreciation to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentlewoman from New York, whom I had the good privilege to serve with on the subcommittee which originally authored this important legislation. I appreciate the leadership that the ranking member had initiated in this area prior to my tenure on the committee. It was during the bipartisan effort to look at this when both sides of our committee realized that we would not write the perfect bill, but it was critically important that collectively we could get to a very good bill which would do the most important thing, which is to authorize the capacity for DHS to have this meaningful role in this very, very important area. I do appreciate the issue with respect to self-certification. We recognized as we were dealing with this issue, as well, that one of the real problems in the beginning was the heightened expectations that were created, particularly with those smaller facilities, about responsiveness from DHS. And so responsible entities would go through the work and the steps of creating site security plans, awaiting and awaiting and awaiting DHS to get there to help approve the work that they were doing. By creating that unrealistic expectation, we also created not just the appearance but the reality of looking like an underperforming Department of Homeland Security in this critical area. I think that the work that has been done has been focused on trying to get this right. This will require that any self-certification be done with templates that are being put together by Homeland Security, and there will be strict deadlines for conformance, and the failure to conform will put them right back into oversight. But I respect and genuinely appreciate the points made by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson). This is significant because passage of this bill will allow us to know where these chemicals are, and that, in and of itself, is significant. To be a firefighter and to not know what might be in the building that you are responding to is inexcusable. That was the circumstance in which those brave firefighters found themselves in West, Texas. This begins to create the kinds of protections to avoid that kind of uncertainty. We owe it to our brave firefighters and others on the front lines. Most significantly, this has been a program in which there have been a number of responsible companies that have taken it upon themselves to ensure that they are doing the right thing in terms of identifying the chemicals they have and securing them appropriately to protect against any kind of misapplication. Without this kind of legislation, what it does is rewards the outliers who are not taking those responsible steps. This will give DHS the authority to ensure that there is oversight over the entirety of the chemical stock. It is important, it is timely, and it will allow us to have appropriate oversight over DHS as well, who I have confidence can step up to the job. So in light of all of those points, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bipartisan bill, H.R. 4007. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 4007) to recodify and reauthorize the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank the gentleman for his kind words and for his cooperation. The ranking member helped to set a tone for the collaboration on the committee, along with the leadership of our chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Texas. From the beginning, our focus was on working together to find solutions to the important issues which don't have a Democrat or a Republican unique perspective. It is an American perspective for us to put the priority on protecting our homeland. I want to particularly express my appreciation to the ranking member of our subcommittee, the gentlewoman from New York, for all of her collaboration and the delightful manner in which we had to work through difficult issues together but, ultimately, got to compromise into important resolutions on these issues and matters of importance. I appreciate her foresight on this particular provision, which I am pleased to strongly endorse. The reason for that is we are facing a very challenging time globally with the issue of cybersecurity. We not only have to worry about the impacts that can happen with cyber issues for the kinds of materials that we have got in the private sector, that they can be impacted, but we are also dealing in a very unsafe world in which threats are not only the theft of information or interference with systems, but the ability now for those who want to do us harm to use the cyber network to carry out that harm. Therefore, it is more critical than ever that we are able to attract to the Department of Homeland Security, in fact into government, the kinds of people who are prepared to be on the front lines of this battle. This is exactly what this provision will enable us to do--first, to attract people, and I am always inspired by them, because they have the same sense and focus of dedication to their country that so many brave men and women who sign up and serve us in uniform. While they are serving in a different capacity, their service to our Nation is every bit as real in the sense of the personal sacrifice that they make to help us attract the best and the brightest to protect our assets. You have to appreciate that many of them, once they get that expertise, are very, very desirable to corporations and others in the business world who will pay them significantly more to come to work for them. So this idea of beginning to create the bullpen, so to speak, of the next generation of cyber-prepared warriors for our country is at the heart of what the gentlewoman is trying to do, to enable universities and others to develop these kinds of programs that support students who, in return for some support for their education, will come to work for us. That will get us the next level of individuals, and it will begin the process of training those individuals, which we will need. So this is, again, another important piece of our overall successful approach to trying to create cybersecurity. I urge all of the Members to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 2952) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make certain improvements in the laws relating to the advancement of security technologies for critical infrastructure protection, and for other purposes.

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

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2952, the Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act. H.R. 2952 was originally passed by the House as the Critical Infrastructure Research and Development Act of 2014. The updated legislation passed this week by our Senate colleagues adds important cybersecurity workforce provisions to the bill from what is known as McCaul-Meehan, H.R. 3696. As cyber attacks by hackers from around the world grow increasingly sophisticated, it is more urgent than ever to improve our ability to stop them. Currently, the Department of Homeland Security's National Cybersecurity Communications and Integration Center, NCCIC, must compete with big technology companies and cybersecurity firms for cybersecurity workforce, while DHS is limited in its ability to attract talented and well-trained cyber warriors. H.R. 2952 will require the Secretary to assess the cybersecurity workforce currently in DHS and develop a strategy to enhance it. The assessment would look at cyber positions, readiness, training, types of positions, and its ability to carry out its cyber mission, with the ultimate goal of enhancing these capabilities and produce a recruitment and implementation plan. Finally, the bill also requires the Secretary to submit a report on the feasibility of establishing a cybersecurity fellowship program. This legislation along with the others we have brought up today are important pieces in improving the overall capabilities of the Department of Homeland Security and its ability to carry out its cybersecurity mission. This is a critically important piece of legislation which enables the Department of Homeland Security to compete for what are very, very in-demand individuals with talent in the area of cybersecurity and protections. Most significantly, it allows us to have the kinds of quality of individuals who can work in an equal capacity with the best of those who are in our other governmental institutions, and particularly those who are now working in the private sector. I believe that the capacity for DHS to attract these workers is critical to its mission. I continue to encourage the growth and development of that expertise. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I am prepared to close once the gentleman does. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman again for his leadership not just on this particular issue, but his leadership of the committee and, as I had said before, working with my colleagues on the other side in a bipartisan fashion for these important issues. I will be brief on this, but I can tell you that it is not the brevity of my words that will instill the seriousness of this issue. When the chairman mentioned that this is some of the most important legislation we have ever done on cybersecurity, I echo that sentiment because the nature of the threat is real, growing, and constantly changing. The ability for us to be able to be adaptive in real time to communicate with the private sector and the government facilities to protect our homeland is critical. A second point--and that is significant as well--is very real attention was paid to the issue of privacy, recognizing the individual desire to be assured that private information is not inappropriately utilized or misapplied by anybody, let alone the government. This bill was the product of work that was done in detail with over 300 different meetings working through the complexities of this particular issue. As has already been articulated, it is one of the few bills that I would imagine in this Congress--or any Congress--that has strong endorsement from the Chamber of Commerce and the ACLU simultaneously. Lastly, by organizing by sector, this creates the framework. This is the important foundation. There is still so much more to be done, but this is the foundation of the house, of the structure that will allow us to create and continue to create the kind of edifice that will enable our private sector, our government sector, and indeed all of those who are engaged in this issue in the country to be better positioned to protect Americans, their information, and their safety. I strongly endorse this, and I thank the gentleman for his leadership.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I also thank my colleague from Philadelphia, the distinguished gentleman, who has been a strong supporter of this important bill. I rise in strong support of S. 229, which is the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Act of 2013. As has been identified, the legislation would rename the Woodland Avenue Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia after Corporal Crescenz. As has been identified, he is Philadelphia's only Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam era from Cardinal Dougherty High School, which had contributed more young men who gave their lives in the service of their country during the Vietnam war than any high school in the Nation, so this is quite a distinction. I visited, as have my colleagues, numerous times the veterans medical center, making sure that it ensures the veterans receive the care they deserve. But I think one of the things that is important about this kind of a recognition is not only that it has been earned with valor, but the veterans who walk in and out of there each day, many of them Vietnam veterans themselves, want to hear the story about Corporal Crescenz. His name will be enshrined, people will know about it, and his heroism will live and continue to live.

Mr. MEEHAN. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I also want to express my appreciation. I think it is one of the endearing factors. While we from time to time may have strong disagreements about issues, we actually have had many more that we have been able to work together on. This is one that I am proud to support. I will conclude by saying that this was undoubtedly an act in which he not only acted selflessly for himself, but he saved his fellow warfighters from harm. I would like to commend those who have worked tirelessly on renaming this facility, and I hope that my colleagues will support this measure.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the lifetime of public service of State Representative Nicholas Micozzie. For thirty-six years, Nick Micozzie has made the trip up the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Harrisburg to represent his community in the state House of Representatives. The residents of Nick's district have long benefited from his loyal service, legislative skill and dedication to hardworking families in Delaware County. Nick began his public service forty-four years ago like many do, stepping up to serve in his own neighborhood as an Upper Darby Township councilman. Nick's compassion and his commitment to Upper Darby's families were obvious and before long, Nick's constituents sent him to Harrisburg to serve. During his thirty-six year tenure, he left an indelible mark on state government, chairing numerous committees and passing important legislation that helps Pennsylvania. Throughout his service, Nick never forgot where he came from. He was always willing to talk to his constituents, explain a vote, or discuss the issues of the day. If there was any way he could help them, he did. It never mattered which side of the aisle you were on--Nick has always been a gentleman. Mr. Speaker, last month Nick Micozzie made the drive to Harrisburg one final time. Surrounded by his friends, family and colleagues, Nick reflected on his career of service to his community. Nick Micozzie has been a tremendous public servant and a tireless advocate. Delaware County has been blessed to have him as a voice in Harrisburg.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5629) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to strengthen the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, and for other purposes, as amended.