Mark Meadows

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the excellent work of Joshua Zarka. Since 2011, Josh has served as the Minister for Congressional Affairs at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. At the end of July, Josh will conclude his service at the Embassy and return to Israel for a new chapter in his career. The United States has historically maintained a warm relationship with Israel. This friendship is built by those at the executive level, but nurtured by diplomatic staffs, such as Josh, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to further our countries' shared goals. In his role as a liaison to the United States Congress, Josh has worked with many of my colleagues and me to strengthen this relationship. Josh's energy and commitment to follow up on even the smallest details was evident each and every day. Joshua Zarka serves as an example of how diplomacy should take place--friends first. His desire to serve Israel and the broader U.S.- Israel relationship is seldom seen and equal. He will be dearly missed, and I wish him well in his studies at the Israel National Defense College.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for his leadership and truly for being willing to be the voice of the American people. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to really highlight what so many Americans have a hard time understanding, and that is why we as the American people can continue to allow a government to overreach its true authority and not be reined in, Mr. Speaker. So tonight I want to highlight just a few things. Before I do that, I think it is important that we talk about the Federal workers here that work for the American people, the vast majority of which--I would say almost 99 percent of which--are dedicated public servants who each and every day give their utmost for their fellow man, truly, to serve this great country. So tonight, Mr. Speaker, I rise to really highlight some of those that give the rest of those great Federal workers a bad name. For many of us, they also give us a reason to pause and say: Wait just a minute. How can that happen in this great land? So tonight I feel like it is important that we identify some of these workers who truly have displaced the trust of the American people. They have taken Federal tax dollars, they have continued to take a salary, and yet what we find is they did not uphold their constitutional duty to do what is right on behalf of the American people. We know one example is with the EPA, the gentleman who worked to define the Clean Air Act. We found that, over time, he was not even showing up for work, that he would continue to be paid for years and years and years, that he was paid without showing up. Now, certainly his colleagues would have to know that there was an empty cubicle next to them, but yet, for over a decade, we have an EPA employee who pretended to be a CIA agent. Now, when we start to look at this, here he was not showing up for work. He was traveling all over the world at taxpayers' expense. Indeed, what he was continuing to do is pretend like he was an employee of the Federal Government, but not showing up. So my question is really more about accountability, Mr. Speaker. Where was the management team? Where was the accountability? We can understand one bad apple, but where was the management? Well, let me tell you where they were. This particular EPA employee decides that they are going to go and they are going to retire, and so all the management comes together. They give him a great retirement party. He retires and he says: But wait just a minute. You need to continue to pay me because I am still working for the CIA. Now, the sad part about it is they continued to pay him for another 18 months. And, Mr. Speaker, I don't know about you, but that is just hard to believe. It is the thing that novels are made of, but yet this is not fictitious; it is the truth. We have got other EPA employees that are there that are watching porn on their government computer over 6 hours a day for 4 years. Where is the oversight there? And yet, when people are willing to blow the whistle and say, ``This is not right with some of my colleagues,'' what do they meet with? Well, we heard at a hearing just this last week that a whistleblower for the Department of Homeland Security in their EB-5 program was punished because she dared to speak up. Well, Mr. Speaker, I think it is time that the American people start to hold the management of Federal workers accountable because they are entrusted with that trust that needs to be carried out each and every day. And so tonight I am here to call out Mr. Mayorkas. Recently, an IG report identified Mr. Mayorkas as doing special favors for political operatives--allegedly, the Governor of Virginia; allegedly, the brother of our former Secretary of State. What the American people will not stand for, Mr. Speaker, is a double standard. If political favors are going to be given out, the people who give them out should be held accountable. And I appreciate the gentleman from North Carolina, his leadership, because not only is this service on Oversight and Government Reform designed to make sure that we get to the truth of it, but he is unrelenting in his willingness to go after those who live by a double standard. With that, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson), the chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee, who has done great work.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Chairman, I urge support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MEADOWS. My amendment would prohibit the administration from using any funds from this bill to advocate or support a position in trade negotiations or enter into a trade agreement that would limit greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Basically, the amendment would prohibit the Obama administration from trying to address ``climate change'' through trade agreements. The last few years, we have seen the administration intentionally work around Congress to implement its own agenda. Mr. Chairman, the hour is late. There are many worthwhile amendments that need to be debated and heard, and with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for his kind words and for his leadership because we would not be here today without the great work of the chairman; the ranking member, Mr. Eliot Engel; and my good friend from Florida, Ted Deutch, who has dropped everything to try to make sure that we address this critical issue. Because of the incredible Department of Defense and the military men and women that we have serving the great American interests, many Americans believe that the terrorist organizations are poorly organized, they are rogue operations, and some, most of them believe that they are just thousands of miles away; yet terrorist organizations have been thriving for decades and have killed thousands of Americans. These terrorists will be stopped one day, and hopefully today is the beginning of what we do to make sure that that happens. With the growth of technology and globalization, Hezbollah has become illusive and has found ways to raise millions of dollars. You would think that it is just in some faraway place, but we find them as close as our own borders in this hemisphere and, indeed, in my home State of North Carolina. We must do all that we can to cripple Hezbollah and send a message to other terrorist organizations that the United States will not back down. We will protect our people and our allies. We can do this today by enacting the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act. This is more important today than ever before because, as we discuss this particular potential deal with Iran, what we do know is that, as sanctions are relieved, that money will flow. And because the real leader and founder of this vicious terrorist organization is really the Iranian regime, we must act today, Madam Speaker, because we will save American lives, we will save allied lives, and we will stand with our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel. So I want to close by, indeed, thanking Chairman Ed Royce for his willingness to engage with our leadership and for their decision to bring this to the floor in a very expeditious manner. I thank Chairman Tom Price of Georgia, Ms. Grace Meng, Mr. Lee Zeldin, along with Ranking Member Eliot Engel. I would also like to give a thank-you to the Lebanese bankers because many would believe that everybody there is involved in this. We had credible Lebanese bankers who came in and said, ``We want some help.'' We want to make sure that the good actors are rewarded and the bad actors are put away. And finally, I would like to thank the staff that has worked incredibly hard--Matt Zweig, Ansley Rhyne, and Mira Resnick--from the Foreign Affairs Committee. They have worked very closely together to make this a good piece of legislation, one that will be a tool so that this administration can finally put the boot on the throat of Hezbollah and all like-minded terrorists.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Major Andy Shields, Chief Deputy of the Macon County Sheriff's office, who will retire on June 30, 2015. Major Shields began serving as a patrol officer in Macon County on March 1, 1984, where he was promoted to Sergeant just two years later in 1986. In January of 1990, he began his work as an investigator, serving as the only detective in the Sheriff's office for several years. As more investigators joined the force, Major Shields' leadership as Chief Investigator was instrumental in maintaining a standard of excellence in Macon County law enforcement. After serving overseas with the United Nations Peacekeeping force in Kosovo for two years, Major Shields returned to the Macon County Sheriff's Office in September 2001, where he was eventually promoted to Chief Deputy and has remained in that position since. His training and experience has proven to be exemplary throughout his career. Upon his retirement, Major Shields will be the first employee of the Macon County Sheriff's Office to retire with a full thirty years of service. Major Shields' unwavering dedication and leadership is something that all of us can admire and respect. As such, I am proud to honor Major Andy Shields for his faithful service to the people of Macon County and congratulate him on his retirement.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Jeff Cardwell for his work as the North Carolina Emergency Management Area Coordinator and congratulate him on his retirement. Mr. Cardwell began his career serving as a Fire Officer for the Gamewell Fire Department, where he still serves today. He served as a firefighter for the city of Lenoir from 1986 to 1991 and for the City of Hickory from 1991 to 1993. In 1993 Mr. Cardwell began his career with North Carolina Emergency Management, serving as an Area Trainer and working his way toward an administrative role. During his time with North Carolina Emergency Management, he worked on twenty-six FEMA disaster declarations and eight of North Carolina declarations, including every major disaster in North Carolina since 1993. Mr. Cardwell has been recognized for his outstanding service several times, receiving awards including the Western North Carolina Firefighter Association Officer of the Year in 2001 and the Colonel William A. Thompson Award as the North Carolina Emergency Management Employee of the Year. Mr. Cardwell has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to serving the people of North Carolina in emergency management. As such, I am proud to honor Mr. Jeff Cardwell for his faithful service to the people of North Carolina and I wish him the best on his retirement.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I rise today and want to reach out to my colleague, the Delegate from D.C. to, one, say that I appreciate the tone and tenor of this debate. I have great respect for her and, actually, during this debate have grown to admire her even more. I would like to point out, however, that much of what has been talked about tonight about there being clarity is simply not the case, Madam Speaker. We do know that, if we just broaden the ministerial exception, where we can look for items of conscience and make sure that those fundamental rights are protected, Madam Speaker, that this particular legislation would indeed do exactly what the Delegate from D.C. has said that it would do. I stand here tonight to offer, again, my willingness to work with not only the Delegate from D.C., but the Mayor and the city council, to hopefully provide that clarifying language.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chief Thomas Laws, the Fire Chief of Granite Falls, North Carolina. On May 1, 2015, Chief Laws will retire after thirty-two years of successful, dedicated service. Chief Laws began his service in Granite Falls in 1982 as a firefighter. Just three years later, he was promoted to Chief. During his tenure, Chief Laws maintained a standard of excellence in firefighting equipment, tactics, and training. He was also instrumental in obtaining several program grants that have made the department what it is today. Thanks in large part to Chief Laws' dedication, the local fire department in Granite Falls consistently handled emergencies in a timely and efficient manner. The exemplary leadership of Chief Laws is something that all of us can admire and respect. As such, I am proud to honor Fire Chief Thomas Laws for his faithful service to the people of Granite Falls and congratulate him on his retirement.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. I thank the chairman for his leadership on this particular issue. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to talk about what this bill is and what it is not. When we talk about tax compliance, it becomes very easy to focus on those hardship cases, very easy to focus, as the gentleman opposite just talked about, on that 3 to 5 percent, depending on which agency you are talking about. This bill is really not about those with hardship cases, as there is already an exemption there. This bill is not about trying to penalize Federal workers. It is really about fairness, Mr. Speaker. Why is it fair that 97 percent in some agency--94 and 95 in others-- pay their taxes on time, and yet we continue to give others a free pass? My friend opposite would many times suggest, Oh, well, they are complying better than this group and that group; but we need to look no further than the IRS because the IRS implemented a different standard within their agency. Guess what happened, Mr. Speaker? Their compliance went way up. They have one of the best records, that we get to oversee, with the Federal employees. When we started to look at this, the chairman was very careful to make sure that hardship cases--the ones that all of our hearts go out to when people have family situations that preclude them from being able to pay their taxes on a timely basis--are an exemption. Yet I would say, whether it is Congress or whether it is the Federal employees, we are held to a different standard because we are paid with the hard-working American taxpayers' dollars. It is a higher standard than the private sector's. It is difficult for us to acknowledge that, but we are under the scrutiny that we should be because we have the authority to tax and spend. When you have both of those authorities, Mr. Speaker, it is a different standard. I, for one, can tell you that, from the Federal employees' standpoint, it is all about making sure that we are fair to them. What happens is, when the headline is ``Federal employees are not paying their taxes,'' for whatever reason it may be, it paints in a bad light the hundreds of thousands of Federal workers who do everything right and on time. Mr. Speaker, I think that what we must do is not only address this for the integrity of the American people but address it for the integrity and the spirit of those Federal workers as well.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mrs. Violet E. Schlitz on her 100th birthday, which she will celebrate on April 13th, 2015. I am proud to honor her today as an exemplary member of our community. Since the age of 13, Mrs. Schlitz has called the United States her home. A native Canadian, she became a citizen in 1950 and in the 1970s moved to Western North Carolina and settled in Hayesville. It is there where she and her husband Lee raised their three sons and have been blessed with eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. A community leader, Mrs. Schlitz was active in her sons' scouting, regularly volunteered at Chattooga Regional Hospital, and served at Sharp United Methodist Church, where she has been a faithful member. Mrs. Schlitz has selflessly served those around her, and over the years has knit more than 2,000 sweaters for needy children. Her activities reflect Mrs. Schlitz's character and the incredible size of her heart. On behalf of the entire 11th District of North Carolina, I congratulate Mrs. Violet E. Schlitz on her milestone 100th birthday and thank her for her service to our local community of Western North Carolina.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Daniel Reid Simpson. Unfortunately, on January 24 of this year, he lost a courageous battle with Lewy body dementia and went on to meet his Maker. Senator Simpson, as many of us knew him, was a father and a husband to Mary Alice for some 63 years. He served the State of North Carolina in the State senate for six terms. It was not just his service to our great State that made this man truly a remarkable example of a community servant. One of his proudest accomplishments, as he would tell it, was introducing the bill and shepherding it through the State legislature to set up Western Piedmont Community College. Additionally, he helped set up the Glen Alpine Recreation Foundation. In 2007, they honored him for that work by naming the field the ``Simpson Field,'' for not only the recognition of his great work for the kids of that community who wanted to play baseball and football, but also for his lifelong commitment to the folks of Burke County. Senator Simpson also served in the military. He fought with MacArthur's forces in the Philippines and served in the occupation forces in Japan. Not only was he of service to our great State and our great country, but he was of service to Burke County and to his family. So it is with sadness, but certainly with great honor, that I remember his life. Our prayers are with his wife, his three children, and all of his family at this time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Chairman, the chairman points out very clearly that, indeed, the definition of ``private sector'' includes individuals. I would also like to go further and talk about small businesses. We are talking about small businesses and how they are not supported in this. It is troubling, because if that were the case, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, who represents thousands and thousands of small businesses, or the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, which does the same, would not be endorsing this piece of legislation. So, Mr. Chairman, I want to make sure the record is corrected. With regards to the $18 million, that was cleared up in Rules yesterday; the committee was made aware of it. And despite the legislation being identical to last Congress' bill, the CBO had scored it as having a direct spending cost, but this was partly because the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, CFPB, doesn't have the authority to collect the fees. And so we have already addressed that, Mr. Chairman, and I wanted to make sure we cleared up the record.

Mr. MEADOWS. I thank the chairman for his leadership on this bill and for bringing it through regular order. We continue to hear that around here on this particular bill. Mr. Chairman, before the gentleman from Massachusetts leaves, I think it is important that we address this. As the gentleman would indicate, he is making this out to be all about big banks, but it is really about the small business folks and, truly, about the municipalities. I want to read a few excerpts from the resolution that comes from his home State--from Massachusetts--because they got together, and they said this is a real problem: ``Whereas, the Federal Government has imposed additional requirements, based on incomplete scientific analysis and review, on the cities and towns of Massachusetts.'' In this resolution, Mr. Chairman, it talks about going further and that, at a minimum, what we should do is provide a ``fiscal note included as part of any such proposal.'' So it is the towns and the counties across the country and, yes, indeed, from the gentleman--my esteemed friend from Massachusetts--a resolution from his State that talks about the problems that we have with unfunded mandates. Over 850 major pieces of regulation, with impacts of over $100 million a piece, have failed this basic principle and test, and 75 percent of them never get the analysis that we should be doing at the Federal Government. We have a responsibility to the local towns and governments but also a responsibility, Mr. Chairman, to farmers. I left a hearing today with the EPA and an unfunded mandate. Who are they consulting with? The Department of Agriculture, not with the farmers from across this great country. They are talking to other bureaucrats. It is time that we bring the private sector in, and I think it is time that we stand alongside them.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, just last summer, Delta launched The Blue Lightning Initiative with the help of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Blue Lighting Initiative is a computer based training program that provides airlines with the added tools to help ID and report suspected instances of human trafficking. According to Delta, it is among some of the first airlines to adopt this expansive type of human trafficking detection training. Delta and others taking on similar initiatives should be applauded for taking the initiative to end Human Trafficking, one of the greatest challenges we face. As horrific as Human Trafficking is, it is even more troubling that the United States Government is not taking the steps necessary to properly train DHS employees, such as TSA officers, who have the potential to identify cases of trafficking and help save lives. This type of training is what Rep. Mark Walker's bill H.R. 460, the Human Trafficking Detection Act, aims to achieve. Awareness is key and it is essential to ending the human trafficking epidemic that is stealing the freedom of nearly 27 million people worldwide. Requires DHS to establish a human trafficking training program to be given in classroom or virtually, and to ensure DHS personnel receive this training within 180 days. This training must include: Methods to effectively deter, detect, and disrupt human trafficking, and be relevant for each federal employee's particular location or professional environment. This will help to ensure that DHS doesn't simply establish a generic, one-size-fits-all approach for all employees, and is able to provide thorough training specific to each employee's particular job setting. Other topics determined to be appropriate by the Secretary. A post-training evaluation for personnel receiving such training. H.R. 460 also allows DHS to provide the human trafficking training curricula to State, local or tribal government, or private organization at the entity's request. This will help these government and private entities establish their own training programs. CBO: Does not expect H.R. 460 to increase federal spending.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Thank you so much for your leadership on this critical evening to express the will of so many Members of Congress that hopefully is the will of the American people. I thank you for your service not only here in Congress, but also for serving the people of King County as sheriff. Mr. Speaker, when we get to call out some of our dear friends who are sheriffs or police chiefs, many times we don't even refer to them by name. It is ``sheriff'' or ``chief.'' But tonight, I want to talk a little bit about what I call most of my law enforcement colleagues in western North Carolina. I call them friends. I want to tell a few personal stories. Before I do that, I want to share a little bit about the gentleman from Washington who is leading this tonight, because it is real easy to see the professional side of a Member who serves with distinction here in this body, but sometimes the people back home miss the personal side. Today, we were discussing a number of bills on human trafficking and the unbelievable blight that is on our Nation and on our world where we have more people today in modern-day slavery than at the height of the slave trade. But it is personal for this gentleman to my left because time and time again, in meetings, he has brought up the plight of those young girls, their being trafficked at the hands of so many that are out there. It is that personal side that we can applaud tonight, not only for my colleague, but for many of the sheriffs and chiefs that I have the honor of knowing because of being in this position. Mr. Speaker, I can tell story after story, but there is one police chief in my area who shared a story about one of his officers who was working for him who puts his life on the line every single day, and he does it for a little over $12 an hour. When I heard that, I could hardly believe it, because as we start to see the dedication with which our law enforcement officers truly put themselves out each and every day, not only them, but their families--and we expect them to come home. Mr. Speaker, as has been shared previously, sometimes, they don't come home; so we must do a better job of standing by our law enforcement officers each and every day to thank them, to go out of our way, to make sure that we thank them for their service, thank their families for their sacrifice. There are birthday parties that are missed, anniversaries that are missed, dinner engagements that are missed because when the phone rings or when the call goes off or when the beeper is alert, they are always there. Not answering that call is not an option for them. They are always available. Yet in my district back in North Carolina, we have sheriffs who are getting involved to make sure that the homeless have a place, a warm bed, and a hot meal; a sheriff that has actually gone out in his community in one of my counties that makes sure that those that are in need have a place on Halloween night to come and celebrate in a safe environment; dedicated volunteers over and over; a sheriff back home who really works tirelessly to make sure that the needs of those that are most needy in his community are taken care of--story upon story, Mr. Speaker, of people who put politics aside and put the interests of their community first. Whether it is a Democrat or Republican, they all work together to make sure that what happens is that their community is safe. Mr. Speaker, they have my back, and I think it is time that the American people stand up and have their back. We need to make sure that we stand with them. I thank the gentleman for his time, for his leadership on this issue, and for his service.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 2521) to amend chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, to provide for reform to Federal information security, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. 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 materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5385, sponsored by Representative Ann Wagner of Missouri, to designate the Post Office located at 55 Grasso Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri, as the Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson Post Office. Army Sergeant Amanda Pinson died on March 16, 2006, while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She, along with a fellow soldier, were killed when a mortar round detonated. She was only 21 years old. Sergeant Pinson enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school and was known as a model soldier, a ``breath of fresh air,'' and wanted to attend college after the military to become a CIA or FBI agent. Mr. Speaker, this courageous young woman served her country with honor and gave her life in defense of our country. It is my honor and privilege to stand before this body and pay tribute to Sergeant Pinson's memory and sacrifice. I ask my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 5385. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Vermont for his support. I yield as much time as she may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Missouri for her words, and I would say that it represents her heart. Whether it is here in Washington, D.C., or anywhere else, she is always looking to really recognize those who serve their country. Certainly, in this honor today, I would urge all our Members to join me in support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5794) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 16105 Swingley Ridge Road in Chesterfield, Missouri, as the ``Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher Post Office''.

Mr. MEADOWS. 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 materials on the bill under consideration.