Richard Nolan

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained for voting on Monday, December 18. Had I been present and voting, I would have voted: Nay on Roll Call No. 685 (On Motion to Fix the Convening Time); Aye on Roll Call No. 686 (On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 4375, STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act, as amended); and Aye on Roll Call Vote No. 687 (Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3979, Keep America's Refuges Operational Act).

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3115, the land exchange between PolyMet Mining Corporation and the Superior National Forest of the U.S. Forest Service. Let me begin by saying that what the exchange involves is PolyMet giving up approximately 6,550 acres of forestland that is surrounded by old mining sites, with no public access. In return, they are giving us 6,690 acres, or an additional 40 acres, which is a wonderfully good deal for the taxpayers and the concerns of the environment, if people just look at the exchange. At the end of the day, the taxpayers get more land and more value-- $425,000, to be exact. There is no cost to the taxpayers. The public gets more access to the land. They get more lakeshore property, more timberland, more wild rice land, and more wetlands. If approved and if the PolyMet Mining project should ultimately go forward--by the way, it has received the highest marks that any mining project has ever received from the EPA, after almost 12 years of review--the simple truth is that this is a good bill for the public. Let me say it is important to note that there are some things that this bill does not do. I need to say that because there is some terrible misinformation floating around out there. Number one, it does not authorize a mining project. Let's make that very clear. Number two, it does not interfere with the State and Federal environmental review processes, procedures, and permitting process. Most importantly, the preponderance of the information coming into my office is concern for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and rightfully so. I was an original sponsor of that legislation back in the day before I took my little 32-year hiatus. There is no more precious, pristine area in this country--perhaps, the world--that needs to be protected. Let me show you something. For those of you who weren't paying attention in science class, there is the Continental Divide. The water north of that flows north and water to the south of that flows south. This project is south of the Continental Divide, so there is physically no way possible, short of a nuclear bomb or getting hit by a planet or something, that that water can flow into and in any way harm or damage the Boundary Waters. To be specific, right here, there already is a 60-year-old mining project, Northshore Mining. They have been mining there 60 years. And by the way, there is sulfur in that soil, as well. It has never caused any damage to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This is a good bill for the environment, good for jobs, and it is good for the community. In no way can it harm or damage the Boundary Waters or I wouldn't be standing here today advocating for its purchase. I urge my colleagues to adopt this important piece of legislation. I remind them that it has good bipartisan support from our Minnesota Senators and the Governor, bipartisan support from our congressional delegation, chambers of commerce, and the trade unions. It is a good bill, and I urge its adoption.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, the simple truth is America has no business involving itself in this Saudi-led civil war in Yemen. That is why I introduced my amendment, which passed the House just last July, declaring that none of the funds in the National Defense Authorization Act will be used to deploy ground troops in Yemen. But the fact is that the United States is still financially supporting this Saudi-led war, and that is simply wrong for three primary reasons: First, America's support for this Saudi-led war in Yemen is unauthorized. Congress never approved a declaration of war in Yemen. Nothing could be more clear in the Constitution of the United States as to who has responsibility for declaring wars. It is not the President. It is the Congress of the United States of America. Right now, we are still financially supporting a Saudi air war and blockade in Yemen-- both, acts of war. It is time to put a stop to that. Second, we are supporting this Saudi-led blockade that is causing horrific starvation, disease, and death in Yemen. This blockade has forced more than 7 million people in Yemen to the brink of starvation. It has sparked the world's largest cholera crisis in recorded history, and more than 8,000 people in Yemen have been killed and nearly 50,000 injured in airstrikes and fighting on the ground. It is unconscionable for us to continue support for this war. And, finally, I can't say enough, America is already involved in too many endless wars of choice in the Middle East. The President of the United States acknowledged that we have spent $6 trillion just on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they have acknowledged that we have $2 trillion in expenses going forward taking care of the heroes who served our Nation--lost arms and legs and irreparable damage. That is $8 trillion. Think about it. For one of those trillion--just one of them--we could have eliminated student debt in America. Think about it. For another one of those trillion, there is our trillion for our infrastructure. Think about it. For another one of those trillion, we could have found a cure for cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, or any one of a number of things. These endless wars of choice, where we have inadvertently been on virtually every side of the conflicts one time or another, are so costly in blood and in treasury. It is time to put a stop to spending these trillions on these wars and start reinvesting in America, reinvesting in the American people. Mr. Speaker, the bottom line: Congress must stand up and bring an end to American involvement in these costly wars and, now, in Yemen, where we have no authorization and we have no business being involved.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, the simple truth is that the rich are getting richer in degrees unparalleled in human history in this country, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class are getting crushed. And now our Republican colleagues have offered a proposal to the Congress of the United States to make it worse. The fact is that, under the Republican tax bill, the upper 1 percent will be getting a $1.7 trillion tax deduction. At the same time, independent reports tell us the middle class will be getting--millions of them--will be getting an increase in their taxes, and we will be passing on $1.5 trillion in debt to our children and our children's children. Mr. Speaker, this tax bill is a scam. It is traditional old-fashioned trickle-down economics that has never worked and has been the ruination of every great economy in every great country in the world. We have to oppose it and stop them from succeeding in this tax scam.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, I rise in support of the Democratic budget alternative and in opposition to the Republican budget that has been proposed. It has been often said that gracious living and good politics is all about gratitude. Paying something forward is how you show your gratitude. Quite frankly, the simple truth about this Republican budget is that it rolls back a century of progress. It sets the stage for the dismantling of Social Security, which lifted more people out of poverty than anything, and for Speaker Ryan's plan to turn it over to Wall Street. It sets the stage for turning Medicare over to the insurance industry--Medicare that provided our elderly with insurance and life opportunities that heretofore had not existed. This century of progress that this budget rolls back includes clean air and water. It includes healthy, safe working places and conditions. It includes an opportunity society that invests in our people. And guess what? In a little over a century, we doubled life expectancies. Wow, what a marvelous accomplishment. We created the best and biggest middle class in the history of the world. We became a model for the world; jobs with living wages and healthcare benefits and pension benefits. This Republican budget proposes to roll back that entire century of progress. It is nothing about paying it forward. It is nothing about paying things back. It is about rolling back a century of progress, and we can not let that happen. That is what the Democratic budget is really all about, investing in people, investing in infrastructure, investing in America, and investing in people's jobs and living wages, and in their benefits. That is how you show your gratitude, and we have got a lot to be grateful for. Let's vote and enact this Democratic budget proposal which invests in America, which invests in people, which invests in opportunities. That is what this debate is really all about.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as Co-Chair of the Congressional Friends of Finland Caucus to extend a warm welcome to Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, who is visiting Minnesota to celebrate Finland's upcoming 100th Independence Day, and attending FinnFest, an annual festival celebrating Finnish heritage and culture. FinnFest is held in cities across the U.S. and Canada, and this year Minnesota is especially honored to welcome the Finnish delegation in preparation for the 100th anniversary of Finland's independence later this year. Minnesota is home to more than 60,000 Finnish-Americans, and our state's culture is enriched with many proud Finnish traditions and customs. Finnish Americans have established many Minnesota cities including Hibbing, Mountain Iron, Tower, Eveleth, and Virginia. Today, Finnish Americans continue to contribute to our state as leaders of industry, education, and local government. It is truly an honor to represent so many proud Finnish-Americans in Congress, and to support our Nation's warm diplomatic relationship with Finland. Trade and tourism between our Nations continues to be mutually beneficial, with thousands of American's visiting Finland every year to experience Finnish culture firsthand, and explore Finland's many historic and beautiful sights. Thank you President Niinisto for visiting our state and helping us celebrate Finnish heritage and culture during this very special year for your great Nation.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Chairman, I express my thanks and gratitude, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Lung Cancer Caucus, I want to first express my appreciation for allowing my amendment to be made here in order and for the work of the committee. Make no mistake, these extra funds that are in my measure, the $3.8 million for cancer research at the National Cancer Institute, are urging that it be spent on lung cancer, in particular. Those extra funds will make an enormous difference in battling lung cancer, which is, as you all know, the most deadly of all the cancers. As many of you know, my daughter, Katherine, was diagnosed with stage IV nonsmoking small cell lung cancer almost 2 years ago. Thanks to medical research and the daily prayers of so many of my colleagues here in the House, Katherine is still with us. But like so many thousands of others, she is still courageously and desperately fighting for her future. We can provide those people with some real hope and support for their determination through additional research dollars that are so desperately needed. As you know--or may not know--we have made little or no progress in the last 20 years in combating lung cancer. There is still a survival rate of something less than 1 or 2 percent. But make no mistake, the money that this committee and this Congress and this House has provided for research not just in cancer, but many of the other fields, has played a critically important role in increasing our life expectancies--played the lead role in increasing our life expectancies in this country. In my grandfather's time it was 47, and now it is almost 80. But one of the areas where we just haven't been able to make any progress at all is in lung cancer research. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this modest request for a modest amount of money to be added to helping us make some progress in lung cancer research in the way that we have done for so many other forms of the disease. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, to protect a young woman from the Midwest like Amy, who works as a user experience designer in a technology company in Illinois.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Chairman, my first amendment simply declares that none of the funds authorized to be appropriated in this bill can be used to deploy members of the Armed Forces to participate in the ongoing civil war in Yemen. By passing this amendment, we ensure that no hero, no patriot in a U.S. military uniform will be put in harm's way in a conflict that can only be settled by the parties involved. My second amendment simply cuts off funds to any so-called friendly rebels in Iraq or Syria who make a mockery of our good intentions by misusing American arms and resources, and, in far too many instances, using them against us. We have already spent trillions of dollars, lost thousands of precious lives in these endless wars of choice in the Middle East. It is time to put a stop to it, time to start investing in America and the American people. So I urge the adoption of these amendments en bloc. I would only add that the President, in his last campaign, had a message that we need to embrace, and I think the en bloc group of amendments takes us in that direction. He pointed out we spend $6 trillion in Iraq and Afghanistan alone. For one of those trillion, we could have graduated every kid in America from college debt-free. For another one of those trillion, there is your trillion dollars for infrastructure to fix the trains that are coming off the track and the bridges that are falling down. For another one of those trillion, we could have found a cure for cancer or Alzheimer's or diabetes, and we still would have had $3 trillion for deficit reduction. I applaud this committee for all the work that they are doing and the direction that they are taking us back to in getting us out of these endless wars of choice and start reinvesting in America, the American people, and the American infrastructure. That creates good jobs and the quality of life that we embrace. To be sure, we must have a strong national security. There are evil people and evil forces out there that we need to protect ourselves against, but that doesn't mean we have to get involved in every civil war and every war of choice in the world.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in support of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. I would be remiss if I didn't compliment my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and all of their respective staffs who have worked so hard to bring this really good, strong bipartisan measure here before the Congress for the benefit of the American people. I have got to tell you: everywhere I go back in Minnesota and around the country, I hear two things when I am talking to businesspeople. And they say, you know, the people who are trained under this career and technical education program are the best employees that we have. The other thing I hear is that we need more of them. So, again, thanks to my colleagues for bringing this bill forward. There are some good, new provisions in it that gives States an opportunity to focus better on what the needs are in their particular region. There are some other tools to help communities, the program itself, and the businesses to form partnerships to expand the program. At the end of the day, it is all about creating good, strong jobs with living wages and strong futures. It is about creating opportunities for the working men and women in this country and for the businesses that are at the heart of our economy. And is it about creating a dynamic economy where people can grow and prosper in the 21st century. It is a good bill for workers. It is a good bill for business. It is a good bill for our economy. And it is a good bill for our national security. Mr. Speaker, I urge its adoption in the strongest language possible.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present at recorded votes due to medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on rollcall No. 283, YEA on rollcall No. 284, and YEA on rollcall No. 285.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a significant milestone achieved by a great American company and one of the largest employers in my district, Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. In 2017, Cliffs is celebrating its 170th year as an independent mining company specializing in the extraction and processing of iron ore--or taconite as it is known on Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range. Cliffs Natural Resources was founded in 1847 in Cleveland, Ohio and first began operating on the Mesabi Iron Range in 1905 at the former Crosby Mine located near Nashwauk, Minnesota. Today, Cliffs is the oldest metals and mining company traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the largest independent producer of iron ore pellets in the United States. As a company that was founded prior to the industrial revolution, Cliffs has weathered the ups and downs of the American economy and the cyclical nature of the steel business for 170 years. This achievement is nothing short of remarkable. Throughout its long history, Cliffs has been an integral supplier of raw materials to the domestic steel industry, providing the iron ore used in the production of steel that supports our American way of life and provides for the defense of this great country. Cliffs stands at the very foundation of our steel industry and America's manufacturing economy. Just as notable is Cliffs' commitment to Northeastern Minnesota. Overall Cliffs employs approximately 2,900 people in the United States, with over 1,700 family-sustaining jobs across its three Minnesota iron ore operations--United Taconite, Northshore Mining Company and Hibbing Taconite. In 2016, Cliffs' economic impact in the state of Minnesota was nearly $900 million. Furthermore, Cliffs has shown itself to be a tremendous supporter of its home communities, with the company and its employees contributing over $575,000 to charitable organizations in Minnesota last year alone. The domestic iron ore and steel industries have confronted grave challenges in recent years as historic levels of illegally-dumped steel flooded U.S. shores. These trade law violations led to the idling of iron ore mines, steel mills and the lay-off of thousands of workers, including 2,000 Minnesota iron ore miners. In 2015, at the height of the steel import crisis, I found a friend and partner in Cliffs' Chairman, President and CEO, Mr. Lourenco Goncalves. This was not the first trade-induced steel disaster that Cliffs had endured and Mr. Goncalves understood that it would take the support and engagement of the White House to fully address and remedy the threat posed by record levels of illegal steel imports. Lourenco pledged to me that, if the federal government would commit to prosecuting the trade cases to the full extent of our U.S. trade laws, he would bring back workers at Cliffs' idled Minnesota mines. In conjunction with Minnesota's other elected officials, we were able to capture the attention of President Obama's Administration, resulting in tariffs and duties assessed in excess of 500 percent on steel products from certain countries, namely China. Mr. Goncalves followed through on his commitment to put nearly 1,000 Minnesota miners back to work and it was my pleasure to join Cliffs in August of 2016 as the company broke ground on a $75 million capital investment in new pellet-making capabilities at United Taconite in Forbes, Minnesota. I commend Cliffs Natural Resources, Mr. Goncalves and all of Cliffs' employees for stewarding Cliffs through the latest challenging chapter in your company's long and storied history. This 170-year anniversary stands as a testament to the hard work and dedication of past and present Cliffs' employees, from haul truck drivers and millwrights to the company's most senior executives. I am pleased to recognize the monumental contributions of this great company, both to the communities of Minnesota's Iron Range as well as to the prosperity and defense of the United States. In closing, I extend my best wishes for the continued success of Cliffs Natural Resources.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for that introduction. I want to thank my colleagues for presenting their profound thoughts on this most important legislation that we will consider tomorrow. The simple truth is that what this bill does is it removes 24 million people and takes them away from having affordable health care and health insurance, while, at the same time, giving $600 billion in tax cuts for the richest people in America. Some pundits have described it as one of the biggest transfers of wealth and travesties perpetuated upon the American people in American history. I am calling upon the Republicans here in this Chamber and President Trump to withdraw this legislation, sit down in a bipartisan way--the way this Congress operated for several hundred years under open rules-- and see what we can do to fix what is wrong with the American healthcare system, not do away with it and scrap it in the devastating manner that they have chosen to do so. The simple truth is, as I said, this guts Medicaid, and it guts health care. Under this $600 billion tax break, think about it, if you make $1 million a year, every year you are going to get a $67,000 a year tax cut. Imagine that. That is more money than the average person makes in America in a year, and they are going to get that every year going forward in perpetuity, while we are saying to a young family who is struggling maybe because someone in the family has cancer or maybe somebody got hurt or injured in an accident, oh, that is going to cost too much money to insure you, you are one of the 24 million who we are getting rid of. What kind of a country is it that would do something like that? My colleague, Mr. Kennedy, I thought, stated it so well. We are all in this together. That is what insurance does. Life is perilous at best. We don't know who is going to get sick. We don't know who is going to have an accident. It may be when you are elderly; it may be when you are young. That is what health care and health insurance is all about, coming together and making sure that we all are cared for and get the care that we need when we need it. Senator Kennedy talked about preventive care. If you can catch prostate cancer or if you can catch lung cancer at a stage I or a stage II level, you save a life. But you have to have insurance to go do that and see your doctor. If you don't have insurance, guess what? You don't get a diagnosis until it is at the third or fourth stage level, at which point it is too late, costs tremendous amounts of money to treat, and, most likely, the prospects for survival are not good. Mr. Speaker, I call on the President and my colleagues, please, the President in particular, honor the promise that you made to the American people in your campaign which resonated with enough people to get you elected President of the United States. Stand up for the elderly, stand up for urban and rural, stand up for all Americans, stand up for rural communities, and rural hospitals. Do the right thing, and let's open this process up so we can fix what needs fixing and stop this devastating attack by repealing and so-called replacing the Affordable Care Act.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Captain Dale Harris, JAGC, USN (ret), who recently retired after 23 years of combined active duty and reserve service to our nation with the United States Navy. Captain Harris was born in Two Harbors, Minnesota and raised in nearby Duluth. After graduating first in his class at East High School in 1985, he received a Bachelor's of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Minnesota in 1990. He subsequently earned his J.D. from Hamline University School of Law, cum laude, in 1993 and began his Navy career. Captain Harris served on active duty in the Navy JAG Corps from 1993- 2000. He was an honors graduate of the Naval Justice School and winner of the school's trial advocacy competition. He spent three years assigned to Everett and Bremerton, Washington, serving stints both as a defense attorney and as a prosecutor, where he handled more than fifty courts-martial and forty administrative discharge boards, quickly gaining notoriety as one of the Navy's best young litigators. Captain Harris then worked as appellate defense counsel at the Navy-Marine Corps Appellate Review Activity in Washington, D.C. In that role, he filed briefs in over one hundred cases, and argued twenty-five cases before military appellate courts. Following his release from active duty in 2000, Captain Harris continued his military service in the Navy Reserve, including distinguished tours as a judge on the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals and as the Commanding Officer of the Navy and Marine Corps Appellate Review Activity support unit. Over the past 23 years, he earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the preeminent uniformed lawyers of his generation in the area of appellate litigation. For his outstanding service to our Nation, Captain Harris earned numerous personal awards, including four Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and three Navy- Marine Corps Achievement Medals. Captain Harris returned home to Northeastern Minnesota in 2000 and served the citizens of Minnesota's Eighth District as an attorney in private practice and later as an Assistant St. Louis County Attorney, where he handled state and federal civil litigation, and provided counsel for the sheriff and Arrowhead Regional Corrections. He continued his appellate work by arguing cases at the Minnesota Court of Appeals, Minnesota Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Since 2010, Captain Harris has served his community as a state District Court Judge chambered in Duluth, establishing himself as a fair-minded and extremely capable jurist. The integrity, work ethic and leadership skills that were the hallmark of his military career will continue to define his ongoing public service as a judge. I commend Captain Harris for his commitment to our country and the sacrifices he and his family made on its behalf. On the occasion of his retirement from the United States Navy, I thank him, his wife, and their four children for their honorable service to our nation and wish them fair winds and following seas as Captain Harris concludes this portion of his distinguished legal career.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Amendment VII: ``In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.''

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Steve Raukar of Kelly Lake, Minnesota for his 33 years of exceptional public service. Steve will be retiring from the St. Louis County, Minnesota Board of County Commissioners this January, and having worked with Steve on many projects in the Northland I want to wish him the very best in his much deserved retirement. In every one of Steve's many roles he goes above and beyond to ensure residents of Northeastern Minnesota receive the best possible services from St. Louis County. Steve and I have worked together on many projects across St. Louis County, from an expansion project at the Port of Duluth/Superior to Federal funding issues at the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency, to the proposed Northern Lights Express Minneapolis to Duluth/Superior passenger rail line. He is a tireless advocate for his constituents and throughout his career has improved the lives of countless Minnesotans. Steve is retiring from the St. Louis County Board of County Commissioners after serving 28 years on the board. Prior to that he served on the Hibbing school board and on the staff of then Minnesota Lt. Governor Rudy Perpich. He is no stranger to hard work and even after retirement will continue to serve on several boards of other organizations in the region. I ask my colleagues in Congress to join me in recognizing Commissioner Steve Raukar for his career of dedicated service to residents of Northeastern Minnesota.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Stephanie Heilig of Duluth, Minnesota for her 41 years of service within the Duluth School District going above and beyond to create a positive learning environment for all students. I want to wish Stephanie the best as she celebrates her much deserved retirement. While Principal of Myers-Wilkins Elementary, where a majority of students come from households with incomes below the poverty line, Principal Heilig worked tirelessly to engage families and give students the resources they need to learn. As students, teachers, administrators, and principals begin a new school year, one of the biggest issues facing schools is an achievement gap between students from different demographic groups. However, at Myers-Wilkins Elementary Principal Heilig's efforts created an environment where all students, regardless of their background, had an equal opportunity to learn. She was very passionate about fostering a collaboration between the school and the community it serves by setting up after-school programs such as ``family nights.'' During school she would use every available opportunity to give books to students while encouraging them to read. Additionally, she made a point to spend time in the halls of Myers- Wilkins talking to students to learn about their lives outside of school, their struggles and their achievements. Thank you Stephanie for your 41 years of dedicated service and for going above and beyond what was required to give all students the best possible environment to learn. Please join me in wishing Stephanie Heilig the absolute best in her retirement.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedicated natural resource management professionals at the Chippewa National Forest for their excellent work on the replacement of the Knutson Dam at the outlet of Cass Lake to the Mississippi River. Staff at the national forest and their community partners earned the ``Rise to the Future'' award, one of the U.S. Forest Service's most prestigious awards, for their utilization of a design called Rock Arch Rapids, which allows aquatic wildlife to travel freely between Cass Lake and the Upper Mississippi river. Before the construction of Rock Arch Rapids, the Knutson Dam, a logging dam built in the early 1900's, blocked the passage of fish between Cass Lake and the Mississippi river. Furthermore the dam was at the end of its usable life and required more and more costly repairs each year. The complete replacement of the dilapidated logging dam was a collaboration between Chippewa National Forest, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership and Ottertail Power Company. The new Rock Arch Rapids not only improves access to Cass Lake for aquatic life but also access to the lake by outdoor enthusiasts, and minimizes erosion of Cass Lake's shoreline to preserve the beautiful campgrounds, trails and beaches of the Chippewa National Forest for years to come. Please join me in congratulating the staff at Chippewa National Forest and their community partners for their prestigious achievement.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sheila Ross, a two- time lung cancer survivor who has devoted her entire career to public service and advancing better outcomes for those affected by lung cancer. I wish to pay special tribute to Sheila in light of her pending retirement at the end of the 114th Congress from the Lung Cancer Alliance, a non-profit guided by Sheila's unstoppable and indefatigable force to support anyone diagnosed with lung cancer. The organization provides patients with information and guidance and advocates for advanced life-saving research for the lung cancer community. It has been said that Sheila is the founder of the ``lung cancer movement,'' the first advocate ever to elevate her voice and walk the halls of Congress to bring attention to a public health imperative and to demand a more coordinated and compassionate response to the leading cause of cancer death. After her initial cancer diagnosis in 1999 and then again in 2000, Sheila quickly grasped that public health policy must be linked to science. With the sheer force of will and survivorship, Sheila set in motion actions that history will look back upon as seminal moments in the battle to end lung cancer as we know it. Sheila's strategic expertise developed from 20 years of legislative and management experience on Capitol Hill as a Chief of Staff in both House and the Senate offices for Democrats and Republicans. After her career in Congress she spearheaded the creation of Lung Cancer Alliance, which today stands as the highest-rated and only national non-profit organization devoted entirely to supporting the lung cancer community and elevating awareness, changing health policy and advancing research. The group has been an invaluable partner ever since my colleagues Frank LoBiondo, Lois Capps and I created the first-ever Lung Cancer Caucus. While at the Alliance, Sheila can be credited with organizing the first-ever bipartisan and bicameral resolutions focusing on lung cancer, as well as the original Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act, requiring the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to give increased focus and funding to lung cancer early detection and research. Additionally, Sheila worked to establish the first and only dedicated lung cancer research pipeline within the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, she urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to swiftly implement a national screening program, expanded access to low dose CT scanning which detects lung cancer early on, and monitored NCI's National Lung Screening Trial which concluded ahead of schedule when the trial's goal was achieved earlier than expected. She also worked to secure Medicare coverage for CT screening for seniors and the disabled and established the only patient-powered CT scan donation program, Give A Scan, that allows those impacted to contribute directly to research. Sheila's contributions to better the lives of those living with and at risk for lung cancer will forever be remembered. When the defeat of lung cancer finally enters the annals of history--and it will--Sheila Ross's fearless advocacy will be included in the early pages of that historical document. I want to thank Sheila Ross and wish her all the best in a well- deserved retirement.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, had I been present and voting on Roll Call Number 496, I would have voted AYE. Had I been present and voting on Roll Call Number 497, I would have voted AYE.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this commonsense, bipartisan measure. I would be remiss if I didn't thank Chairman Shuster and Subcommittee Chairman LoBiondo, Ranking Members Larsen and DeFazio and members of the committee for supporting this legislation. What it does is it authorizes and clarifies that the FAA has the authority to enter into reimbursable contracts with the State and all of the States in this country. The reason and the rationale for it is that it dramatically reduces Federal bureaucracy. It saves the taxpayers a ton of money as well as investors and encourages private investments in our airport infrastructure, creating jobs and laying the foundation for a good economic development in the future. I would like to give one real quick illustration. These are two towers that are used for navigation at a regional airport in north central Minnesota, the town of Brainerd, Minnesota. They are about 25 feet high. A group of investors agreed to put $1 million into a new hangar to accommodate corporate jets in this community--a very fast- growing economic community. The FAA said: Well, we are going to have to do a feasibility study, and that will cost several $100,000. And, oh, by the way, the airport and the investors will have to pay for that. Then they said: Oh, by the way, we will select the contractor under the current rules, and that will cost another 4 or $500,000. And, by the way, you will have to pay for that. So, right away, there was resistance at the airport and in the business community because everybody in town knew at least two guys with a pickup truck and a backhoe that could have moved the two towers on a Saturday morning somewhere. So I called the State Department of Aviation and said: Have you ever done anything like this before? They said: Yeah, yeah. They said that they had done it. I said: Have you done it in compliance with FAA standards for safety and navigation? They said: Yes. I said: Will you go up and take a look to see this particular project and give me an estimate on what you could do that for? They did. They came back. And instead of three-quarters of a million dollars, they said: We can do it for about $17,000. So that is what we are talking about. We are talking about enormous savings for taxpayers, for investors, and stimulating investment. It is a good bill. I am grateful for the bipartisan support that it has received throughout the community and from the FAA, quite frankly. So I strongly urge its adoption and thank the leadership for bringing this bill forward. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by recognizing my distinguished colleague from Minnesota (Mr. Kline) for the great leadership that he has provided as the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Make no mistake about it, our educational opportunities and future are brighter for you having chaired that committee and served in this Chamber. We all owe you a great debt of gratitude and wish you well in your future going forward. The greatest tribute I think that anyone can receive is that we served well and we made a difference. You have done that, and we thank you for that. I would be remiss if I didn't also thank Ranking Member Scott for his great work in this area. I also thank Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, and the other original cosponsors for their hard work. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this critically important bipartisan reauthorization of the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. Time and again, when I visit with owners and managers of manufacturing facilities throughout my northern Minnesota district, I am told two things. The first is that the employees they have hired who have participated in career and technical education programs are the very best that they have in their employment. Employers can't say enough good things about them and their skills and the work that they do. The second point is that they need more CTE-trained people. All down the line, from health care, to construction, to information technology, to transportation, to aviation--and the list goes on--good-paying jobs with living wages are waiting for these people. So this bill adds important new provisions to expand and update CTE so jobs can be filled. States get more flexibility to focus on the jobs and careers in high demand within their regions. Employers and communities get the tools they need to develop stronger partnerships to engage students and grow our local economies. And students get the tools that they need to compete and succeed in the 21st century. That is what this bill is all about. It's all about more good jobs. More great opportunities to learn and gain valuable skills and knowledge. And--More dynamic growth for an economy in need of the best, most skilled workers America can provide. I urge our colleagues in the Senate to join the House in supporting this critical and important program and act swiftly to take up and pass this legislation.

Mr. NOLAN

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the hard-working medical professionals and law enforcement staff of Morrison County for their successful work in the fight against opioid abuse. The fight against the epidemic is centered at the St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls, Minnesota, where a collaborative care team focuses on the unique needs of patients to help them on their individual roads to recovery. Recently, I was pleased to host the leaders of the collaborative care team at a briefing here in Washington, so that they could share best-practices with Congressional staff. Their comprehensive model for dealing with the crisis focuses on the causes of opioid addiction and utilizes systems like Minnesota's Prescription Monitoring Program to prevent the overprescribing of pain medication. St. Gabriel's approach involves the entire community and creating healing, holistic partnerships between heath care providers and the community based on self-determination, safety and respect. I ask my colleagues in Congress to join me in recognizing the dedicated professionals at St. Gabriel's for their outstanding work which has reclaimed and saved so many precious lives.