Mark Meadows

Mr. MEADOWS

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

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Chair, before I get into my amendment, I want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee and the entire staff for not only a very thoughtful bill that really requires very few amendments, but really working with Members of all different ideological stripes in our conference. And I look forward to being able to support this when it comes up for a vote tomorrow. My amendment prohibits funds from being used by the Office of Personnel Management, better known as OPM, to administer the ObamaCare's multistate program. ObamaCare required OPM to contract with health insurers to make multistate plans available to consumers in all the States, and D.C., by 2017. Now, there is only one problem with that. There is only one State participating. And yet, here we continue to fund it. The multistate plan program has failed to meet its statutory requirements. It has failed to generate competition in the healthcare marketplace. And it has failed to lower health insurance premiums. According to OPM, the government has spent $53 million on administrative costs for this failed program. The evidence is clear: This program doesn't work and it is a waste of taxpayer dollars. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation said eliminating funding for this plan will not affect the levels of competition or premiums in the insurance markets, nor would it affect any ObamaCare subsidies. So my amendment does not take funds away from OPM. It leaves more money for OPM to continue its other mission-critical programs without having to waste the time and resources on a poorly-functioning multistate plan program. I have got letters from the OPM, Office of Personnel Management, who administers the plan, supporting the elimination of this program. I also have a letter from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, better known as NARFE, who represent the interests of more than 5 million Federal employees and retirees and their survivors, supporting the elimination of this program. So finally, this program is widely viewed by analysts on the both the left and the right as either a de facto public option or a plausible foundation for a future public option. The House should vote overwhelmingly to do away with this, and I urge my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, to do so. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have left?

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the gentleman opposite with his articulation of opposition; but I find it interesting because the last time I checked, he is not from Arkansas, which is the only State that actually is benefiting from this. And yet, his State, my State, and every other State is paying for this for the benefit. And I would use that word very liberally, because it is not really benefiting them. They just keep it there. It is not lowering premiums in Arkansas. So at what time do we look at a failed Federal program and say enough is enough? I think that that day is today, and I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment. I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership. I urge a vote in support of this particular amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exemplary career of Scott Brown, Chief of Police at the Lenoir Police Department, Caldwell County, North Carolina. I would like to express my appreciation to Chief Brown for over 32 years of dedicated service to the citizens of Western North Carolina. Chief Brown's career in public service began as a telecommunicator for Caldwell County Sheriff's Office in 1987. He then joined the City of Lenoir's Police Department as a patrolman in 1989. Chief Brown went on to become a detective with the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office in 1990 and was promoted to both Patrol Sergeant and D.A.R.E Officer. Chief Brown proudly rejoined the Lenoir Police Department in 1998 as the D.A.R.E. Officer and went on to serve as Sergeant, Lieutenant, and later took over the roles of Operations Division Commander, overseeing both the Patrol and Investigation Divisions as a Captain. He acted as the interim chief of police while being a Commander and was later selected to become the Chief of Police on April 23, 2012. During Chief Brown's six years as Chief of Police, he has served the people of Lenoir with humility and honor. As an advocate for building up community relations with the Police Department, Chief Brown participated in and implemented several programs, including: Take 25, Take a Kid Fishing, Coffee with a Cop, Chat with the Chief, and the lunch buddy program in schools. He is known for treating every person he meets with respect and for being a kind and generous leader. Under Chief Brown's leadership, the Lenoir Police Department expanded the Narcotics Investigation Unit to address opioid abuse, instigated the Narcan program, implemented department-wide Body Worn Cameras, and was named the 4th safest city in North Carolina in 2017. Chief Brown has been supported throughout his tenure as Chief of Police by his wife, Dawn, and his two children, Staff Sergeant Grayson Brown and Molly Brown. Chief Brown has deeply impacted the lives of the people he has proudly served through his dedication to the citizens of Lenoir and his overwhelming involvement in the community. He has served well, and it is my distinct honor to recognize his outstanding work and express the best wishes of the people of Western North Carolina to Chief Brown on the occasion of his retirement.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 971, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 970) insisting that the Department of Justice fully comply with the requests, including subpoenas, of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the subpoena issued by the Committee on the Judiciary relating to potential violations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act by personnel of the Department of Justice and related matters, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous materials into the Record.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a resolution that literally is about this institution. And when we look at this, it is about the Department of Justice and the FBI giving documents to this institution so that they can conduct proper oversight. We have had months and months go by with multiple requests where those requests have been largely ignored by the Department of Justice. It is time that the American people actually have the transparency that they deserve in being able to see these documents and let them judge for themselves what did or did not go on within the Department of Justice and FBI. Mr. Speaker, Lady Justice should have a blindfold, and that means that justice should not be meted out to those that are well connected or well financed. It should be even in all regards. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan).

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would make one comment. It is interesting, when the gentleman opposite, Mr. Speaker, is talking about motives and what is designed by this when we have not had a conversation about that. It is also interesting, when we talk about those very motives about an ongoing investigation, part of this request is asking for 10,000 pages of documents on an investigation that is already complete. I would think we would have the ability to get those from the Department of Justice. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this particular issue, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The reality of this is the very document that the gentlewoman from Texas put up, that 500-page report, is actually investigative conclusions based on 1.2 million documents, of which this body--this body--has received less than 24,000 pages of the same documents that she mentions. So all we are asking for is for us, the legislative body, and the American people, to be able to get the very same documents the Department of Justice has. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership and tenacious spirit on this, and I reserve the balance of my time. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), my good friend.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I might remind the Speaker and all those who are in this Chamber today that this is about this very fundamental principle of this institution being able to do oversight. Since when is it not a good idea to have the documents from all agencies brought forth to this body so that the American people can judge for themselves? Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Garrett).

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I ask the Speaker if he would remind others that are in this well, that if they are really concerned about family reunification, I have a bill--and the gentleman opposite is certainly welcome to come in and cosponsor that bill--to reunify those. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith), my good friend.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we are trying to do. We are trying to do our job, and the gentleman opposite makes an eloquent speech about doing our job of proper oversight. I can tell you, I have served on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for 6 years. And in that 6 years, not only have we been tenacious in getting documents, but we have also had a responsive dialogue back and forth with many in the executive branch. At what point do you do oversight if you can't get the very documents that we request? My friends on the other side of the aisle many times will talk about getting documents when it serves a particular political purpose that they want to espouse. And, yet, when we are talking about the fundamentals of this country, Lady Justice, and meting out justice without any favoritism, indeed, that is why we need the documents. That is why we are trying to do our job, and that is why this resolution is so critical. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice), my good friend.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, obviously, the gentlewoman from California lays out an unbelievable claim that this is the lowest of low that has ever been seen in this body. I find that just remarkable that that statement could even be made. The other issue is we are not asking for any special counsel documents. We are not asking for sources and methods. We are asking for the documents that we have a right, as this body, to see. Transparency is a good thing, Mr. Speaker. Transparency is what the American people deserve. When we are talking about what it will do and what it will not do, yes, when we get these documents, we believe that it will do away with this whole fiasco of what they call the Russian- Trump collusion, because there wasn't any. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson).

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin).

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman opposite for his impassioned arguments and debate on this issue. I thank all of those who have come down to the floor today to stand up for this institution's right to provide proper oversight and conduct it according to the Constitution, but, more importantly, for good transparency. Transparency is a good thing, and I think it is high time that we do it. For 8 months, Mr. Speaker, we have made a request of the Department of Justice. They have not fully complied. On March 22, 99 days ago, we sent a subpoena giving them 14 days. They did not comply. Two weeks ago, the Speaker of the House actually reached out and said, ``You have another week.'' They did not comply. This is our last attempt to give them the benefit of the doubt that they have nothing to hide. They need to start acting like it, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and memory of Dr. David O. Belcher, Chancellor of Western Carolina University. Dr. Belcher was a light in his community, always encouraging and pouring into the people around him through his passion for higher education, embodiment of service, and Catamount pride. A native of Barnwell, South Carolina, Dr. David O. Belcher began his career as a faculty member at Missouri State University. Prior to arriving at Western Carolina University, he was Provost and Vice Chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Dr. Belcher began his tenure as Chancellor at Western Carolina University on July 1st, 2011. This date will be etched in WCU's history as a starting point for accelerated growth and positive change for the institution and Western North Carolina. Dr. Belcher crafted a 2020 Vision program to focus on the Western Carolina University's future, along with a development plan that has been essential to tremendous campus growth and transformation. Dr. Belcher cared for the faculty, staff, and students of WCU, and took an active role of service in Western North Carolina. Dr. Belcher served on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Arboretum and the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Belcher also served on the Board of Trustees of Harris Regional Hospital and Swain County Hospital. Dr. Belcher was an accomplished pianist and brought joy to many with his enthusiasm. His passion, determination, kindness, and ceaseless energy will forever be imprinted on the hearts of those who knew him. Dr. David O. Belcher will forever be highly regarded, remembered and loved amongst his colleagues throughout the state of North Carolina, particularly at Western Carolina University. Dr. Belcher's wife, Susan Belcher, the Belcher family, and the community of Western Carolina University are in my prayers during this time. It was a privilege to know Chancellor Belcher and, on behalf of the people of Western North Carolina, I am honored to celebrate his life and recognize his many outstanding achievements.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this particular initiative in managing this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5925, the CRISIS Act, a bill I cosponsored with Chairman Gowdy; my good friend, the ranking member, Mr. Cummings; as well as the ranking member of the Government Operations Subcommittee and good friend, Mr. Connolly. I want to begin by thanking my colleagues for coming together on this bipartisan bill. H.R. 5925 reauthorizes the Office of National Drug Control Policy and gives the office greater responsibility by enhancing the office's authority to coordinate and oversee the national drug control program at the national, State, and local levels. It provides communities with a process for sharing information and best practices, and implements recommendations from the President's opioid commission. It requires an opioid response plan to coordinate with the private sector the implementation of the commission's recommendations and to facilitate the development of treatment and abuse-deterrent products. Finally, this bill designates the United States Postal Service as a national drug control program agency and requires the office to coordinate actions to reduce the flow of illicit drugs entering the country through the mail. The ongoing opioid epidemic has taken countless lives, touching literally every community in the country. The national response to this epidemic involves Federal, State, and local governments. It involves the treatment community, the medical community, the law enforcement community, and places of worship. As we mobilize a national response, we must ensure that every effort to combat this epidemic works and works well. We have all heard too many tragic, life-changing, and, far too often, life-ending stories of opioid addiction. There is no easy way to end this epidemic. By establishing an effective national response to this epidemic, this bill will support the people and the communities struggling with this addiction. Mr. Speaker, it is the very lives of our friends, our neighbors, and our family members that depend on us. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I would also like to go a little bit further, though, because so many times, when we come together in a bipartisan way, it is Members of Congress who are up here taking the credit for the hard work of a group that actually, behind the scenes, are doing the work. I thank all of the majority staff--Katy Rother, Richard Burkard, Betsy Ferguson, and Sarah Vance; and to Ranking Member Cummings' staff, for all of their work and dedication as well. And I also thank Sally Walker from the Office of Legislative Counsel. Many times, they do the work on the bills behind the scene and nobody ever sees them or thanks them. So, on this day, I want to make sure that we acknowledge their effort, that it doesn't go unnoticed.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Forrest Jarrett, of Madison County, North Carolina. I would like to acknowledge Forrest for his outstanding love for mankind and conservation. Forrest Jarrett was born on November 29, 1928 in Madison County, North Carolina. After graduating from Marshall High School in 1945, Forrest went on to obtain a Bachelor's of Science degree in Agriculture from Berea College in Kentucky in 1950. After graduating from college, Forrest enlisted in the United States Army, serving in the Korean Conflict from 1951 to 1953. After his military service, Forrest became a ``relief watchman'' with Norfolk Southern Railroad Company in December 1953. He worked for Norfolk Southern for 37 years and retired in 1991. While working for the railroad, he played a significant role in creating the Norfolk Southern band, ``The Lawmen,'' which still performs today. Forrest and his wife, Alene, have raised two sons, Owen and Greg. Growing up, Forrest developed a passion for hunting in the mountains of Western North Carolina. This passion has led him to be a proponent for conservation and wildlife protection. Forrest has helped organize an annual Wild Game Dinner fundraiser that supports various wildlife conservation efforts across North Carolina. Recently, the annual Wild Game Dinner in Asheville, North Carolina was renamed the Forrest E. Jarrett Wild Game Dinner for Wildlife Conservation in his honor. Mr. Jarrett's dedication to preserving wildlife and his love for people has set him apart as a man well worthy of esteem and earned him the title of a faithful friend. It is my distinct honor to recognize Forrest's dedication to wildlife and conservation as the Forrest E. Jarrett Wild Game Dinner for Wildlife Conservation is named in his honor.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sheriff Jack Van Duncan of Buncombe County, North Carolina. I would like to express my gratitude to Sheriff Duncan for his 32 years of serving and protecting the citizens of Western North Carolina. Sheriff Van Duncan was born in Spruce Pine, North Carolina and graduated from Mitchell County High School. Sheriff Van Duncan began his career in Law Enforcement in 1986, after graduating from Western Carolina University with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. Sheriff Van Duncan went on to graduate from the Administrative Officer's Management Program at North Carolina State University in 1993. Over the course of his career, Sheriff Van Duncan has worked at the Weaverville and Asheville police departments, as well as the Biltmore Estate, where he served as chief of company police for six years. While with the Buncombe County Sheriff's office, he proudly served as a Patrolman, Patrol Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, and Detective during his years as a Deputy. He worked as an Instructor in the Management and Supervision Section for the North Carolina Justice Academy for two and a half years before being elected Sheriff in 2006. Sheriff Van Duncan has served as Sheriff for Buncombe County for 12 years. Sheriff Van Duncan has had many accomplishments as Sheriff over the last 12 years. He earned the respect of his colleagues by leading with integrity and restoring good order within the Sheriff's Department. Not only that, he has been an innovator for helping the children in Buncombe County by starting the On Track Leadership Program to help rising eighth and ninth graders with good decision-making skills. He has also been instrumental in starting a juvenile diversion program that will help young people avoid obtaining a criminal record. Sheriff Van Duncan has consistently displayed professionalism and candor during his time in office and focused on meeting the needs of the people in Buncombe County. He has deeply impacted the lives of the people he proudly served for 12 years, and it is my distinct honor to recognize his outstanding work and express the best wishes of the people of Western North Carolina to Sheriff Van Duncan on the occasion of his retirement.