Mark Meadows

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 2723.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Helen Blackwell. Mrs. Blackwell was a tireless champion for conservative principles. Mrs. Blackwell served as the Virginia State Chairman of Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum for 25 years. She was also the director of the Virginia Conservative Alliance and the Voting Integrity Project, of which she was the original chairman. A dedicated political activist, Mrs. Blackwell was elected chairman of the Arlington County, Virginia Republican Committee three times and was the Republican captain of the Lyon Village precinct in Arlington for 41 years. She served on the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia and was a Delegate from Virginia to the 2008 Republican National Convention. Mrs. Blackwell was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She attended one year at Randolph-Macon Womans College and received her B.A. in History of Art and M.B.A. from Louisiana State University, where she was the co-founder and secretary of Students for Conservative Government. She was a volunteer docent for many years at the National Gallery of Art. Since 1972, Mrs. Blackwell resided with her family in Arlington, Virginia. She was a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother who lived out her conservative principles every day of her life. Mrs. Blackwell was an active member of Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church and the Eleanor Wilson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Her activism has left an indelible impact on the conservative movement, and she leaves a legacy of dedication, kindness, and boldness for years to come. Helen Blackwell will be dearly missed by many in this Chamber.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, let me give you a quote: ``Holding someone in contempt of Congress is one of the most serious and formal actions our committee can take, and it should not be used as a political tool to generate press as part of an election-year witch hunt.'' Who is responsible for that quote? It is not Ranking Member Jim Jordan. It is not Leader McCarthy. It is not Conference Chair Liz Cheney. It is Chairman Elijah Cummings. Those are his words. What we need to do is understand that we are using this as a political tool, and we are better than that. We are better than that. I am going to quote from another letter from Chairman Cummings. At that time, he was not the chairman. Chairman Cummings wrote a letter to Speaker Boehner. He said, ``A fundamental problem with conducting such a partisan investigation is that the results are not even-handed but instead are skewed, incomplete, and inaccurate.'' Chairman Cummings went on further. He said: ``These deficiencies are magnified when we rush from a committee vote to a floor vote at breakneck speed, with little concern for the facts or the law.'' What was he referring to? He was referring to a contempt vote on Eric Holder. Here we are today, in the same venue. I am using the chairman's words, so I am going to make an appeal to the chairman, with the hope that my good friend opposite will heed these words because, in that same letter, he made a direct appeal to the Speaker of the House at that particular time. He said that he hoped that the chairman would accept that the Attorney General is willing to come in to meet personally and enter into direct negotiations in good faith to try to resolve the matter. I am hoping that the gentleman opposite will withdraw his contempt resolution, not force a vote on this, but enter into a direct negotiation with the Attorney General of this great country and, hopefully, resolve this without taking this particular action. Madam Speaker, I think it is critically important that we understand why we are here today. It is because we are using two standards, one standard for the minority party at one time and one standard for a majority party at another time. Let's use the same standard and make sure that we give the Attorney General the ability to negotiate directly with the gentleman opposite. Madam Speaker, I certainly hope that cooler heads will prevail and that we get to the bottom of this. It is about allowing Congress to do its job but do it with respect.

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I want to make a point that in this body now on 2 consecutive days, we have broken the rules of Congress to expedite things. In this particular contempt resolution, I want to make sure that the Record reflects that we broke rule 2(f) on the committee about notice. It was brought to the attention of the chairman, and here we are again going and violating the rules of this House, not rules that the minority put in place, but rules that the majority put in place. We gave the chairman the chance to perfect this procedural problem, and yet they continued on to hold this contempt violation. I can tell you, they may vote today to hold them in contempt, but it is a violation of Congress' very rules itself that should have been remedied. I ask that the gentleman opposite withdraws his resolution so that we can perfect this.

Mr. MEADOWS

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

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Chair, this amendment withholds an additional $33 million from Pakistan, in addition to the $33 million that is currently being withheld. This seems like it should not be necessary, but, indeed, it is. Dr. Shakil Afridi has been in prison for his role in helping the United States Government locate Osama bin Laden. The message, Mr. Chair, needs to be clear that imprisonment, in violation of human rights, of this fine doctor needs to cease. Mr. Chair, you probably find the same thing back home in your State as I do in mine. Many of my constituents question why we are sending money to Pakistan anyway, let alone if they are going to violate the human rights of someone who has helped bring justice to a terrorist. In prison since 2011, Dr. Afridi was almost entirely restricted. He was prevented from meeting with his lawyers. Indeed, his previous lawyer was murdered. Dr. Afridi has been tortured, reportedly. He has been described as now looking like a skeleton. Mr. Chair, this body needs to stand unanimously together and send a clear message to the Pakistani Government that we will not tolerate this kind of behavior and this violation of human rights. We need to stand with his wife, and we need to stand for freedom. We appreciate the support of Freedom House in supporting this amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), someone I fondly refer to as ``Mr. Chairman,'' who has been a leader on so many of these issues.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for his passion. In the interest of time, I encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand for freedom and to make sure that what we do is send a clear message to those who will stomp out and try to eliminate those who are freedom-loving across the globe. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Tiawana Ramsey, who is retiring from her position with North Carolina Emergency Management. Tiawana proudly served the great state of North Carolina in the Division of Emergency Management for over 30 years, providing a great service to the people of North Carolina. I am honored and humbled to represent a woman who served her state with such dedication, courage, and selflessness. Tiawana Ramsey began her career with North Carolina Emergency Management in November of 1988 as Secretary. She performed her job with great attention to detail and was promoted to Program Assistant in January 1994. After well-deserved promotions to Administrative Assistant and then Emergency Management Planner Specializing in Earthquakes, Mrs. Ramsey was honored with the job title of Area 12 Coordinator in July 2007. In this role, Tiawana oversaw a three-tiered response system which serviced disaster events in both familiar and unfamiliar areas in the counties of Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, McDowell, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey. In her positions of responsibility, Tiawana demonstrated poise, foresight, and accountability in constructing disaster preparation and disaster response plans. Her efforts have undoubtedly saved numerous lives and prevented many deaths from natural disasters in the areas she has served. Mrs. Tiawana Ramsey is the proud wife of Mr. Jimmie Ramsey, who also serves in the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management. Mrs. Ramsey has had a tremendous impact on her community, and she will always be remembered for her diligent, professional service to the state of North Carolina. I thank Tiawana for her three decades of service and wish her the best in her retirement.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Police Chief William H. Hollingsed of Haywood County, North Carolina on his retirement from public service. I would like to honor the service of Chief Hollingsed and his significant impact on the town of Waynesville and the great state of North Carolina. Chief Hollingsed's career began with the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Orlando, Florida, where he served for 13 years as a member of the SWAT team and achieved the rank of Lieutenant. He then moved to North Carolina, where he was appointed as the Chief of Police at Western Carolina University. In 1999, he became the Chief of Police for the Waynesville Police Department where he has selflessly served since. Throughout his remarkable career, Chief Hollingsed has served in numerous capacities. He is an Executive Board member and former President of the North Carolina Police Executives Association, he serves on the Attorney General's Law Enforcement Opioids Task Force, the Task Force on Reforms for Opioid Drug Convictions, and the North Carolina Joint In-Service Training Committee. He further serves as Chairman of the NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, as Regional Director of the NC Association of Chiefs of Police, and as the Police Chiefs representative for the Governor's Impaired Driving Task Force. He was appointed by the NC League of Municipalities as a member of the Risk Management Assessment Team. Dedicated to the safety of his community, Chief Hollingsed was recently honored with the North Carolina Dogwood Award. In addition to his career, Chief Hollingsed is dedicated to his wife, Karen, and their three daughters. Furthermore, Chief Hollingsed has served on a number of boards and commissions, including Kids Advocacy Resource Effort (KARE), United Way, Salvation Army, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Child Abuse and Neglect Task Force, Boy Scouts of America, Waynesville Rotary Club, Domestic Violence Task Force, Folkmoot Board, Criminal Justice Partnership Program, and the Haywood Arts Council. Chief Hollingsed earned his Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia University and earned his Master's of Public Administration Degree from Troy University. Desiring to equip the next generation, Chief Hollingsed has spent the last 20 years as an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at Western Carolina University and is a member of the Haywood Community College Board of Trustees. It is my sincere honor to acknowledge Chief Hollingsed for his hard work and selfless dedication to our country and his community. His diligent pursuit of excellence is evident through his 35 years of law enforcement, dedication to his family, and passion for serving his community.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his passion, for his advocacy, and for truly making sure that we set the record straight. The gentleman from Texas has his heart in the right place. Actually, the gentlewoman who spoke earlier, she and I actually met the very first time, we came together--a liberal from the northeast, a conservative from the south--to actually address human trafficking together. I think it is high time that in a bipartisan way we get together, work together on this supplemental, and let's do it tonight. Instead of having show votes, let's make sure that we provide the money that the President has requested to make sure that the humanitarian needs at the border are taken care of. The gentleman from Maryland is exactly right, now is the time to act. Let's show the compassion with our vote.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, fair, trustworthy, and accountable elections are critical to defending freedom among our international partners and are fundamental to our identity as a nation. The professionalism of election administrators globally is essential for preserving democracy across the world. The Global Electoral Exchange Act gives America a new tool to use in this important work by sending election administrators and officials, including government officials, polling workers, civil society representatives, members of the judiciary, and others who participate in the organization and administration of an election and other American experts abroad to strengthen new democracies and share best practices. Under our bill, those responsible for administering elections outside of the United States could also come here, observing our own processes and taking valuable lessons back home. By keeping the world safe for our basic values we also help stave off the violence in at-risk democracies that all too often follows poorly-run, unfree elections and that often benefits those would do our nation harm. Put simply, American citizens and businesses are safer when we strengthen good governance and freedom in the world's democracies. I want to thank my friend and colleague Joaquin Castro for working with me on this bill in both the 115th and the 116th Congresses, and I applaud his bipartisan leadership and hard work on this important issue.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to recognize Riley Carl Howell, a hero from Waynesville, North Carolina. Riley gave the ultimate sacrifice when he saved the lives of his fellow classmates at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on April 30, 2019. I am honored and humbled to have represented a young man so full of life, courage, and selfless character. Riley Howell was fatally shot when a gunman entered his classroom at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and opened fire. Rather than fleeing, twenty-one-year-old Riley Howell bravely charged the gunman--knocking him off his feet, which enabled his classmates to find cover and allowed the authorities more time to apprehend the gunman. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police hailed Riley as a hero and stated that his bravery prevented further violence and saved his classmates' lives. Riley's selfless actions on April 30th clearly demonstrate his courage in the face of adversity-- confronting danger to protect those around him--even at the risk of his own life. My deepest sympathies go out to Riley's loved ones that are left behind to grieve his passing and honor his sacrifice. Riley's life touched many, especially his parents, Thomas Howell and Natalie Henry- Howell, and his siblings, Iris, Juliet, and Teddy. Riley was an enthusiastic student and graduated from T.C. Roberson High School in Asheville, North Carolina, before studying at Asheville-Buncombe Technical College, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. While in school, Riley served as a cadet in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). The ROTC motto is ``Leadership Excellence''-- Riley embodied the spirit of this motto in his life by helping and encouraging those around him, and ultimately by putting the safety of others ahead of his own. Riley's life brought endless joy to those around him, and his legacy of sacrificial love will continue to inspire and encourage all the lives he touched. Riley had a tremendous impact on his community, and he will always be remembered as a hero. Riley's life was celebrated in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina on Sunday, May 5, 2019. Riley's example of putting others first brings John 15:13 to mind, ``Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.''

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Wayne John Mihelich, of Caldwell County, North Carolina. On behalf of the people of Western North Carolina, I would like to honor the military service of Command Master Chief Mihelich and his significant impact on the education of the next generation. Master Chief Mihelich joined the Navy in 1973. He served in over ten duty assignments and was promoted to the rank of Command Master Chief. He was assigned five separate Commands as Command Master Chief, including U.S. Naval Security Group Activity in Rota, Spain; U.S. Naval Air Station in Sigonella, Sicily; and Naval Air Technical Training Center in Pensacola, Florida. He was also responsible for Chief Petty Officer mess professional development. Master Chief Mihelich is a qualified Naval Aircrewman, Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist, USN Master Training Specialist, and USAF Master Trainer. He graduated from the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy, Class 43 (Khaki) and USAF Senior NCO Academy, Class 93-B. Throughout his well decorated career, Master Chief Mihelich received three Meritorious Medals, three Navy Commendation Medals, three Navy Achievement Medals, the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, the Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon with three bronze stars, the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, the Navy Good Conduct Medal with one silver and two bronze stars, the National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars, the Kosovo Campaign Medal with one bronze star, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one silver star, the Overseas Service Medal with one silver star, the NATO Medal, the Naval Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon (Expert), and the Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon (Marksman). Master Chief Mihelich possesses a love for learning which he fostered throughout his service in the Navy. After earning a Master's of Science Degree in Adult Education, he began educating the next generation. Master Chief Mihelich has been an esteemed teacher at West Caldwell High School in Lenoir, North Carolina for 16 years. For his excellence as the Naval Science instructor, he was honored as the Teacher of the Year for the 2017-2018 school year. Master Chief Mihelich and his wife, Beverly, are the proud parents of their daughters Jessie, Jennie, and Marci, and grandparents to Lexi, Malachi, and Josiah. It is my honor to acknowledge Master Chief Mihelich for his hard work and selfless dedication to our country and his community. His diligent pursuit of excellence is evident through his service in the Navy, his pursuit of knowledge, and his passion for preparing the students of West Caldwell High School for success.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my colleague opposite in support of this particular resolution. I am actually an original cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 16, which authorizes the use of the Capitol Grounds for the annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service and the National Honor Guard Pipe Band Exhibition. Now, this year we will be honoring those fallen soldiers, including more than 150 who died in the line of duty in 2018; and eight, Mr. Speaker, are from my home State of North Carolina. I would like to recognize them right now. They are: Officer Jason B. Quick of the Lumberton Police Department; Officer Jared Franks of the Greensboro Police Department; Corporal Travis Wells from the Dallas Police Department; Trooper Kevin K. Conner of the North Carolina Highway Patrol; Trooper Samuel N. Bullard of the North Carolina Highway Patrol; Senior Police Officer Christopher Driver; Deputy Sheriff David L. Manning of Edgecombe County; and Deputy Sheriff Alexis Locklear. It is with sadness that I recognize them, but in honor of their great service, Mr. Speaker, this resolution demonstrates our bipartisan support, not only for the men and women in law enforcement who put their lives on the line each and every day, who leave their families to serve their community, but the broader family of law enforcement in general. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, seeing that the gentlewoman has no additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 19 that indeed authorizes the use of the Capitol Grounds for the annual Greater Washington Soap Box Derby on June the 15th. Now, Mr. Speaker, I am being very clear: had I not risen in support of this, the gentleman from Maryland would have given me what for, not today, not tomorrow, but from now until the end of time. So I recognize the gentleman from Maryland's unyielding support for this particular effort and I join him in that. I certainly also recognize his desire to really support the youth that get involved in this. I have been one of the few Members of Congress, other than the gentleman I just referred to, to actually witness these races. We don't have those, Mr. Speaker, in North Carolina. I live in the mountains. If you start a soap box derby up there, we would end up in Atlanta, Georgia, by the time we were finished. I can tell you we are very pleased to help. The mission of the Soap Box Derby is to build knowledge and character and to teach fair and honest competition. Indeed, it does exactly that. As the gentlewoman has expressed, it has been around since 1934. Carrying on this time-honored tradition allows children to demonstrate their dedication and creativity. Winners from this local competition will actually go on to other races and compete, hopefully, at the world championship in Akron, Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate my support for this particular resolution. Mr. Speaker, I was very jovial early on, but I want to get serious for just a moment. On this floor, you will see passionate debate, oftentimes, that is divided by this center aisle. Yet, on this particular issue and others like them, the Boys and Girls Club and other things that actually minister to the needs of children in our Nation, the gentleman from Maryland is not only an advocate, he is a champion. I want to recognize that this day and thank the gentleman from Maryland for his leadership, not only on this but on a number of things that affect our youth in this great country. Today, we are unanimous in support of promoting that future generation, and I thank the gentleman for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1331, the Local Water Protection Act. I thank my colleague from Minnesota (Mrs. Craig) for her leadership and my good friend from Florida (Mr. Mast) for introducing this important bill. H.R. 1331 reauthorizes the Environmental Protection Agency's section 319, which is a nonpoint source pollution control program under the Clean Water Act. Indeed, the section 319 program takes a cooperative, nonregulatory approach toward addressing nonpoint sources. Reauthorizing this program reinforces the Federal leadership being provided to help our State and local partners in their nonpoint source control efforts. This program has benefited water bodies all across the country, including in my district. For example, when agricultural runoff impaired the Mills River, a source of drinking water for more than 50,000 people in western North Carolina, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality used $450,000 of the section 319 grant to restore the Mills River and remove it from the State's impaired list in 2006. There are hundreds more success stories from States across the Nation where the section 319 program has addressed nonpoint sources and restored water bodies. For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I support this program. I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 1331, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), the sponsor of this particular legislation.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support. I thank the leadership of the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Craig) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), and I urge all of my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for her leadership on this legislation. Nothing is so valuable as someone who looks at a problem, sees the problem, and then endeavors to fix it, and that is exactly what the gentlewoman has done. H.R. 639 clarifies language that was passed in the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act of 2016 to ensure, as the gentlewoman was saying, that the Urban Search and Rescue Response Task Force can include Federal employees. FEMA's National Urban Search and Rescue Response System was established in 1989. The system is composed of some 28 task force teams, and the teams include members from the Federal, State, local, and private sector, all of those personnel responding together to meet the needs in times of disaster. The teams are locally supported but can be called up by FEMA when a disaster strikes. These men and women are the ones who head into collapsed buildings and conduct search and rescue missions to save disaster survivors. For a long time, the committee worked to clarify protections for these team members who put their lives literally on the line to serve their community; and, in 2016, Congress passed the National Urban Search and Rescue Response Systems Act to do just that. However, there was one technical fix that needed to happen to make sure that Federal participants in these teams can continue to be deployed as part of these task forces. I want to thank the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for her leadership there because this bill, indeed, does clarify this. I would suggest that it should have tremendous bipartisan support. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for her explanation of what this bill does.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for her leadership. It is a good testimony for all of America when we see the efforts of our first responders coming from Missouri to North Carolina, coming from North Carolina to California, and in between. Mr. Speaker, we need to understand that they need our support. This is an important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1582, the Electronic Message Preservation Act. The American people, Madam Speaker, as you know, have the right to know what is going on in their government. Preservation of Federal records is essential to that right. The Federal Government must preserve Federal records, regardless of the form or technology used to create those records in order to remain accountable to the American people. Over the last two decades, technology has advanced. Electronic communication has permeated all parts of the Federal Government. The Electronic Message Preservation Act requires the Federal Government to preserve those electronic records in electronic format. It just makes sense. For decades, many Federal agencies have used what we call the print- to-file method of electronic record preservation. That is right; Federal employees were actually encouraged to print out emails to archive the paper copies instead of just archiving them electronically. Paper-based records, as you know, Madam Speaker, really are inefficient, prone to record loss, and difficult to manage. A poorly managed, paper-based system can also increase the costs of recordkeeping for the Federal Government and the American taxpayers. The Office of Management and Budget and my good friends over at the National Archives, under the leadership of David Ferriero, have been working to modernize Federal recordkeeping. They issued a joint directive that requires agencies to preserve emails and other electronic records in electronic format. Under that directive, all Federal agencies should be preserving electronic records in an electronic format by the end of this year. This bill, Madam Speaker, just codifies that requirement in a joint directive and expands the scope of the electronic message preservations to include the Presidential records, as my colleague opposite has already noted. The bill also requires agencies to report on compliance with the electronic record preservation requirements, which will allow Congress to understand the progress towards these goals. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Cummings for working on this important issue. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman for her deliberative process and the way that she has managed that. I thank her. I think this is one of the rare moments where you have true bipartisan support on something that is just common sense. We need to be doing that. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1608, the Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2019. I thank the sponsor of this legislation, my colleague from Missouri (Mr. Clay). In spite of the fact that he is not wearing his stylish red glasses today, I want to acknowledge the great work that he has done. He has been a tireless advocate on this important reform over many Congresses. H.R. 1608 will help improve the governance and transparency of Federal advisory committees. The Federal advisory committees are groups of experts and stakeholders who provide advice and recommendations to Federal policymakers. Currently, Madam Speaker, there are over 1,000 advisory committees that are covered by the transparency and accountability requirements in the Federal Advisory Committee Act. But many more advisory committees are exempt from the law and may not receive the same level of scrutiny, due to a lack of transparency of their own operations. The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) has been right in working tirelessly to make sure that advisory committees covered under the law are required to report on their operational costs. Those reports show advisory committees cost the Federal Government, many times, over $300 million annually, Madam Speaker. We need to make sure that we are getting the most from the hardworking American taxpayers' dollars. The 1972 act does not do enough to ensure transparency and openness to the Federal decisionmaking process. This bill provides the needed transparency for how committee members are selected and how committee activities function. I encourage all my colleagues to support this particular legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.