Mark Meadows

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary life of Private Samuel Reed, who served our nation during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Private Reed will be honored on September 13, 2014 with a Grave Marking Ceremony at Reid's Chapel United Methodist in Murphy, North Carolina. Private Reed's fourth-great grandson, Edward Wayne Reid, and his wife Carol, have organized the event. Born in Rowan County, North Carolina around the year 1750, Private Reed was a true patriot, serving in the Revolutionary War with his father, Colonel James Reed, and his six brothers. He fought in multiple key battles between the years of 1778 and 1781 throughout North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina. Additionally, during the War of 1812, Private Reed served in the North Carolina Militia. After many years of military service, Private Reed and his wife, Rachel Sparks Reed, settled in Cherokee County, North Carolina. Private Reed died in 1851 at the age of 101 and was buried in the old Reed Cemetery, close to where Reid's Chapel United Methodist is today. We owe our freedom and independence to great men like Private Samuel Reed. I am proud to honor this brave man and his many accomplishments in defense of our nation.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 3486.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for her leadership on this particular issue and for her time and her eloquent remarks in introducing this particular piece of legislation. I would also like to thank the gentlewoman from California who is leading from the other side of the aisle. Much is made of headlines where the dysfunction of Washington, D.C., is in every newspaper on how things do not work, and yet a few hundred feet away from me is a gentlewoman from California representing a constituency many, many miles away from my home State of North Carolina. So today we are not only reaching across the aisle, but we are reaching across the country from California to North Carolina, because human trafficking affects us all. I was first made aware of this by my daughter who was 15 years old when she did a report on human trafficking. I thought it was one of those things that was not a big deal until she informed me that it was in our backyard. It was in our neighborhoods. It was in our communities. Right now, some estimated 23 million people are trafficked, are caught up in human trafficking. And to give you a perspective of that, that equals a number that is very close to another slavery that we know as a horrific blight on our Nation and our world-- the African slave trade. Today we have more people caught up in modern- day slavery than at the height of that particular time, yet somehow we continue to not address it. So hopefully on our watch, Mr. Speaker, we will address that. Mr. Speaker, I want to provide a little bit of the context of this particular bill. The genesis of it came from a hearing. Many times we have hearings over and over, Mr. Speaker. Some people say, well, why do you continue to have those hearings? We had some Delta Airline flight attendants who came in to a hearing. They were talking about the effort that they went through, on a voluntary basis, to set up a program to train their flight attendants and, ultimately, now all of their customer service representatives who see people on a day-by-day basis, they trained them to recognize those that are being trafficked. Yet they did this on their own. So from that, we felt like it would be a good idea to not only partner with them, but to provide that same type of training for the Federal workers that get to see these people at our borders, in our airports, and places across our Nation. I want to thank Chairman McCaul, Chairman Hudson, Mr. O'Rourke, and the entire Homeland Security Committee staff for their hard work on working on this bill to make it not only one that hopefully will be a useful tool, but also one that will make a difference. It is estimated that there is no additional cost for providing this training, and yet the benefits will be great. Tens of thousands of people are trafficked through the United States every year, 80 percent of whom are exploited sexually, two-thirds of them women, but more accurately, most of them little girls. We must stand together in a bipartisan way, and I thank my colleague across the aisle for working with us and her leadership on this. But if we are successful--well, the word should not be ``if.'' When we are successful, Mr. Speaker, we will have saved thousands of lives, and we will have changed thousands of lives. So it is with great humility that I ask my colleagues to come together and support this piece of legislation.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the bill, H.R. 4449, to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to expand the training for Federal Government personnel related to trafficking in persons, and for other purposes. I thank the gentleman from New York for his leadership in addressing this issue. As we look at this, this particular bill would require appropriate personnel of the Department of State, that they would be trained in identifying victims of severe forms of trafficking and provide for the protection of those victims. H.R. 4449 would specify three minimum training requirements in that underlying statute: one, a distance learning course for Embassy and bureau personnel dealing with trafficking issues; two, trafficking briefings for all ambassadors and DCMs before they head to their postings; and, three, annual reminders to appropriate personnel regarding key trafficking problems and issues related to their countries. The State Department believes that these specified forms of training largely track their current activities; thus, while adding these examples to the statute will ensure that these types of training will continue, it will not result in a substantial and additional cost. Again, I thank the leadership, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney) as the primary sponsor of this, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to close by saying that anything we can do, certainly, to continue to highlight this particular issue, whether it is with the State Department or laws within our Nation, gives us a rare opportunity to affect lives not only here in the United States, but across the world. I would like to thank the committee work for those on the Foreign Affairs Committee, their diligence and hard work here at a late hour-- certainly our own personal staffs, congressional staffs, for their work too. So many times, they don't get mentioned. With that, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4449, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4449) to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to expand the training for Federal Government personnel related to trafficking in persons, and for other purposes.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. 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 materials on H.R. 2283, as amended.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, we have no more speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to rise in support of this particular legislation and follow- up on what the gentleman from New Jersey shared regarding the importance of not only the TIP Report but to remain vigilant with a number of the countries abroad where trafficking has become very commonplace. Just in the last week, we had an ambassador from one of those countries come to us and share the fact that they are a Tier 3 country. They were very concerned and wanted to outline the things that they were doing to try to combat human trafficking. It was very obvious to me that with the emphasis we have placed on that, not only here in Congress but with the State Department, that making human trafficking a priority for them to correct and combat was certainly something that has drawn great attention. To strengthen the efforts there, to continue to strengthen the State Department, to raise and elevate this position to bureau status, certainly will send a message not only to our country, not only to countries abroad, but hopefully will give hope to the young girls and young men that are being trafficked in so many of these foreign countries that the United States is serious about this, and that it is not just a few words that perhaps are shared by myself and the gentleman from New York here on the House floor today but that it goes to the very core of who we are, that we must stand up and be a voice for those who have no voice. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. I would like to thank the chairman of the full committee, Chairman Royce, for his leadership and his kind words but, really, for bringing forth this bill so that the American people can, once again, unify against what we all know is a blight on our country, a blight on our world. When terrorism prevails, we must stand firm, and I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on that. I also want to echo the comments of the ranking member when he talked about this being a bipartisan effort. Indeed, we have the chairman and the ranking member taking the lead. My colleague Mr. Schneider from Illinois is working with us on this, and the committee staff--our staff--has worked very hard for many, many months to make sure that this is a targeted bill. Today, we have an opportunity to place a critical blow to Hezbollah. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4411, the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act. It is to make sure that those who are innocent are protected. As the chairman so eloquently said earlier, over 2,000 rockets have gone into Israel in the last few days, but, today, some 20,000 to 30,000 rockets are aimed at Israel. The trigger person--the trigger organization--is Hezbollah, so we must pass this legislation to make sure that what we can do is cripple their ability to finance and put people in harm's way. Hezbollah has many different faces. In some areas, they are called a charitable organization. In others, they are talked about as a political organization. In Latin America, they are talked about as ones who would traffic narcotics. In North America, they are money launderers and counterfeit ring producers. We have many faces for Hezbollah but one soul, and that soul is dedicated to, really, eliminating a people off the face of this world. Today, I rise in support of this, asking my colleagues to join me to make sure that we send a clear message, not only to the United States, but to the world as a whole. Some people would say: Why should we be doing this? This may only deal with Europe or Israel or Syria. It doesn't really affect me. But I am going to close with this, Mr. Speaker. These words are not my words. They are the words of the U.S. attorney from the Western District of North Carolina, Anne Tompkins. She was talking about Mohamad Hammoud, who was a student and a member of Hezbollah as a youth in his home country. And he came to the United States on a Hezbollah-driven mission, one that he loyally carried out, creating millions of dollars to send back for terrorism in a faraway place. But it wasn't just a faraway place, because when he was waiting in jail, he ordered the death of a prosecutor who was prosecuting him, ordered the bombing of a courthouse in Charlotte, North Carolina. So if it is not for Israel and it is not for Syria and it is not for Europe or Latin America, maybe it is for the United States of America. Let's come together and make sure that we pass this critical piece of legislation.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to participate in the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows: rollcall vote 403: on Motion to Recommit with Instructions to H.R. 4923--I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall vote 404: on Passage of H.R. 4923--I would have voted ``aye.'' personal explanation

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to our great country. As the fireworks went off and we celebrated Independence Day, July Fourth was a reminder of the men and women across this country and throughout history that have dedicated their lives to freedom, faith, and their families. We had a wonderful time with a majority of my family, but I was reminded the day following the Fourth of July that this is not just about a place where we talk about policy. It is really about people. I got a call that my sister, who is fighting a different kind of fight--a fight against cancer--was moved to a hospice wing. Truly, as I went to visit her, she reminded me, Mr. Speaker, that it is not about policy, but it is about people. Today, as she fights for her final breath, I want to take a personal opportunity to tell the few that are gathered here--and perhaps this is only for an audience of one--that an older brother is proud of his sister. He is very thankful for the opportunity that he has had these last 52 years to know her. Lord, as we look at the fight against cancer, it affects every single family--perhaps every single Member that is here--and there is nothing much that we can be thankful for, other than the time that it permits us to say the things that we should have said long ago. Today, Mr. Speaker, I stand before this body to thank many of the Members who have been praying for my sister, but mainly to say that I am proud to be her brother and to serve this country, where we can gratefully express our appreciation in a free and unselfish way.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1707) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 302 East Green Street in Champaign, Illinois, as the ``James R. Burgess Jr. Post Office Building''.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to urge support of H.R. 1865, introduced by Representative Welch, my good friend from Vermont, which would designate the postal facility located at 35 Park Street in Danville, Vermont, as the Thaddeus Stevens Post Office. Thaddeus Stevens was born in Danville, Vermont, on April 4, 1792. He attended nearby Peacham Academy and went on to study at the University of Vermont and Dartmouth College. After graduating from Dartmouth, Stevens moved to Pennsylvania to study law. He practiced law in Gettysburg and spent 4 years as a member of the Pennsylvania State legislature. Thaddeus Stevens served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1849 to 1853 and from 1859 until his death in 1868. He is best remembered for being a fierce opponent of slavery and discrimination against African Americans. He was instrumental in the passage of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and fought for African American rights during Reconstruction. I ask my colleagues to honor the courageous actions and momentous contributions of this great American by voting in favor of H.R. 1865. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, my apologies to the residents of Peacham, Vermont. I thank my good friend from Vermont. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers. I urge all Members to support H.R. 1865, and 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. 1671) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6937 Village Parkway in Dublin, California, as the ``James `Jim' Kohnen 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.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1671, introduced by Representative Swalwell of California, which would designate the postal facility located at 6937 Village Parkway in Dublin, California, as the James ``Jim'' Kohnen Post Office. Dr. Kohnen was a long-time leader in the community of Dublin. He passed away on May 29, 2012. He volunteered with the Boy Scouts, the League of Women Voters, served on the boards of five local boards of directors, and was an advocate for the importance of education. Dr. Kohnen retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a colonel after 30 years of service. He was a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, the Air War College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Having earned six higher education degrees over the course of his lifetime, including two bachelor's degrees, two master's degrees, and a doctorate in education, he became a high school teacher of political science, management, and general science. He also served as a member of the management facilities of the University of Phoenix and St. Mary's College. Mr. Speaker, the late Dr. Kohnen lived a life of humility and service to his community. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill to honor his legacy, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 1671, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1458) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1 Walter Hammond Place in Waldwick, New Jersey, as the ``Staff Sergeant Joseph D'Augustine Post Office Building''.

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