David Price

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, this agreement is too important and the stakes are too high to treat this issue as just another political football. The safety and security of the United States, of Israel, and of the region depend on the successful implementation and diligent enforcement of the JCPOA. Instead of scoring political points, or seeking to deny the President a significant achievement, we should be working together in a bipartisan fashion to ensure the agreement's success. We should be working together to explore ways to enhance coordination and cooperation with Israel and the international community to address unacceptable Iranian behavior, such as support for Hezbollah and abuse of human rights. Yet we find ourselves here, 1 year after the agreement's announcement, still dealing with ObamaCare-style gamesmanship. It is beneath this institution. The world is watching. We may think a bill that has no chance of being signed into law doesn't matter; but to the leaders of China or Russia or Iran, it sends a signal from our country of hesitation and disunity. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and any bills that come before us with similar intent and to focus, instead, on ensuring the success of the JCPOA and reinforcing the agreement's role in making the world a safer place.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Congress is set to take the longest recess in memory with critical national priorities, even emergencies, unaddressed. Three weeks ago on the floor of this House, we engaged in civil disobedience to protest the carnage of gun violence in our country and the disgrace of congressional inaction in the face of that. Republican leadership was prevented by their Freedom Caucus from putting even a token measure on the floor. But we will not rest until we are able to keep guns out of the hands of prospective terrorists and are able to have effective background checks. And now, incredibly, the Zika crisis is upon us. Months ago this should have been addressed. I convened researchers and government officials from my area, which is a research hub, to talk about the heroic efforts underway to find out how to prevent the spread of this virus, to understand how to develop a vaccine. Heroic work is going on. People are moving money around, dealing with the absence of a steady funding stream. We have let our people down. A public health crisis is coming. Congress has been grossly irresponsible in failing to provide steady and sure emergency funding for what is surely going to be a desperate public health emergency.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of the bipartisan amendment to prohibit seismic testing in the Atlantic, which I have cosponsored, along with colleagues from New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina. After taking into account the overwhelming opposition to offshore drilling in the Atlantic, including my home State of North Carolina, the Obama administration wisely removed the prospect of drilling from the 5-year Oil and Gas Leasing Program for the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. Now that there are no foreseeable plans to drill among the dynamic ecosystems and pristine beaches of the Atlantic Coast, we should move immediately to prevent seismic testing and other geological and geophysical activities. Not only are these activities unnecessary in light of the administration's decision, they also pose a significant environmental threat. Seismic testing is hugely disruptive to marine ecosystems. Its negative impacts include displacing fish over a large geographic area, reducing catch rates for commercial fishermen, and impacting the reproduction, foraging, communication, and other vital behaviors of marine mammals, including the North Atlantic right whale, one of the most endangered species on the planet. Further, the data generated from the seismic testing is proprietary and, therefore, unavailable to the public or to policymakers who might rely on it to inform public policy, planning, or debate regarding the economic and environmental impact of offshore energy exploration. Instead of allowing oil and gas companies to conduct an unnecessary and ecologically damaging activity, just miles from our Nation's coastline, we should be investing our time and money in advancing energy efficiency, renewable fuels, alternative energy technologies, including offshore wind development to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. I thank my colleague from Virginia for taking the leadership on this amendment. I urge its adoption.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I thank my colleague. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, a bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Tony and Quinn Carlson, victims of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on this House floor.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a vice chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and in solidarity with the majority of Americans who are demanding that Congress take meaningful action to prevent gun violence. We all know the statistics. Whether it is through mass shootings that make the headlines or the unseen violence that happens daily on our streets, gun violence takes the lives of more than 30,000 of our Nation's citizens each year, a number that far exceeds other industrial countries. Now, all these countries have their share of violent extremists and madmen, but only our country gives easy access to weapons of mass killing. And that makes all the difference for America. Rather than seeking out commonsense solutions to address this crisis, the Republican majority continues to cower to the gun lobby and the firearms manufacturers. Now they plead the Second Amendment, but Constitutional Law 101 would tell us that all of our rights, including the precious freedoms of religion and speech, must be balanced to protect innocent third parties and to protect the safety of the wider community. One commonsense measure we should all agree on is background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill. You can't shout ``fire'' in a crowded theater because of your freedom of speech, and neither should you be able to buy a weapon if you have a history of violence and criminality. In fact, almost 90 percent of Americans, including the majority of gun owners, support universal background checks for all gun purchases. The problem is that our present background check system is rife with loopholes. Background checks are not required for private sales at gun shows. They are also not required for Internet sales. Bipartisan legislation has been introduced by Representatives Peter King and Mike Thompson that would finally close this egregious loophole. It is an entirely sensible reform that would have a measurable impact on the safety of our schools, homes, and neighborhoods, without preventing law-abiding citizens from using guns for self-defense or recreational purposes. Despite attracting 186 cosponsors, including several Republicans, the background check legislation has never been brought to the floor or even received a hearing in committee. It has been languishing for more than 15 months. Meanwhile, the shootings and the suicides and the massacres continue to accumulate. My colleagues, we must do better. Our fellow citizens are totally fed up, both with the unspeakable killing and suffering and with a feckless Congress that hasn't lifted a finger to prevent it. Now, this week, after intense public criticism and a historic protest by Democrats on the House floor, Republicans seemed for a while to be willing to hold a vote on legislation they claim would prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms. After all, nearly 2,500 individuals on the terrorist watch list have successfully purchased weapons in this country. But rather than embrace existing bipartisan legislation to actually fix the problem, Republicans put forth a woefully inadequate proposal that would require law enforcement and courts to grapple with unworkable processes, unreachable standards, to be completed in an unreasonably short period of time. Their bill would allow suspected terrorists to receive firearms by default after only 3 days if the court is unable to work through a complicated process. That is the same flaw that allowed the White supremacist Charleston shooter to obtain the weapon that he used to murder nine people at Emanuel AME Church. In other words, the bill is totally inadequate. Now, under pressure from their most extreme Members, Republican leaders refuse to even put this bill on the floor. What should be on the floor is bipartisan legislation, H.R. 1076, that would permit the Attorney General to block gun sales to suspected terrorists. This legislation, based on a proposal from the Bush Justice Department, would still allow individuals to challenge the government in court to restore their gun ownership rights. We don't have to choose between protecting our communities and respecting due process. And so, Mr. Speaker, we ask our colleagues how much longer must we wait? How many more people have to die to move us to act? How many more American towns and cities must be added to the constantly growing list of places like Orlando and Columbine and Aurora and Charleston and Newtown? Moments of silence aren't enough. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. In fact, the Scriptures teach us that such pieties give grave offense when they mask a refusal to do what we know is right. We need action. I call on my colleagues to bring these commonsense proposals to the floor for a vote.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and memory of Col. William Breeze of Cedar Grove, North Carolina, a dear friend, dedicated patriot, and one of the most civic-minded individuals I have ever known. Col. Breeze died on June 7 at the age of 97 at the Croasdaile Retirement Community in Durham. My wife Lisa and I remember Bill fondly and want to extend our best wishes to his family. Bill grew up in northern Orange County and studied agriculture at the North Carolina State University--the start of a lifetime of loyalty and support (Bill had a full supply of red NCSU blazers.). In 1943, he married Elizabeth McKnight, beginning a sixty-year partnership that ended with her death in 2003. Bill joined the Army Air Corps during World War II, serving as a skilled bomber pilot, and completed his career in the Air Force thirty years later. He was awarded the Legion of Merit and Distinguished Flying Cross. I first got to know Bill when he returned to North Carolina after his military retirement, becoming a highly successful farmer and taking on one civic, church, or political leadership role after another. For years, he was Governor Jim Hunt's main liaison in northern Orange County, and when I first ran for Congress in 1986, Bill helped me immensely in getting around that territory. He made politics personal and enjoyable. It was quite an experience going to a rural church supper with Bill Breeze: he knew everyone, and could engage people from all walks of life with wit and warmth. Beneath it all, he was a committed citizen who looked at personal engagement and community betterment as the heart of politics. My admiration for his generosity and dedication knows no bounds. As Bill eased out of active farming, he donated a portion of his land to North Carolina State University to be used as an incubator for young farmers, encouraging them to pursue sustainable farming--the Breeze Farm project. He also established a scholarship program for agriculture students at NCSU. As Bill Breeze's full, rich, and caring life comes to an end, many North Carolinians have reason to give thanks for his many contributions and the lives he has touched. I am pleased to join in this tribute, for Bill Breeze exemplified love of country, service to community, and politics at its best in ways that will inspire me and many others for the rest of our lives.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Patricia Derian, former State Department human rights chief, who, as the Washington Post reported, ``helped save thousands of lives by giving humanitarian concerns greater weight in U.S. foreign policy.'' Patt, who grew up in Virginia and first gained a national reputation as a fighter for civil rights in Mississippi, died on May 20 at the home she and her husband, Hodding Carter III, shared in Chapel Hill, NC. Patt graduated from the University of Virginia nursing school in 1952 and moved with her then-husband to Jackson, Mississippi. There she volunteered for Head Start, fought to integrate public schools, and participated in the 1968 challenge to the state's all-white Democratic National Convention delegation. She also served as president of the Southern Regional Council and on the executive committee of the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1976, Patt took a leadership role in Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign. President Carter appointed her State Department coordinator for human rights and humanitarian affairs, a position Congress upgraded to Assistant Secretary. ``If you want a magnolia to decorate foreign policy,'' she told future Secretary of State Warren Christopher, ``I'm the wrong person. I expect to get things done.'' Patt Derian proved as good as her word, ruffling numerous feathers along the way. She persuaded the President to exert influence over international lending institutions by opposing loans to Argentina, Ethiopia, Laos, Uruguay, and other human rights violators. She helped engineer the release of thousands of political prisoners in Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Her reports to Congress shed light on previously ignored subjects such as labor practices, women's rights, and female genital mutilation. Jacobo Timerman, an Argentine journalist imprisoned and tortured over many years, credited Ms. Derian with helping engineer his release and saving ``thousands and thousands of lives all over the world.'' In 1978, Patt married Hodding Carter, a well-known Mississippi journalist who was then Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. They relocated to Chapel Hill in 2005, where my wife Lisa and I came to treasure their friendship and their continued political and civic leadership, locally and nationally. Hodding was Patt's loving caretaker in her years of declining health and continues in multiple teaching and other leadership roles at the University of North Carolina. Because of Patt Derian's ``determination and effective advocacy,'' President Carter said upon her death, ``countless human rights and democracy activists survived that period, going on to plant the seeds of freedom in Latin America, Asia, and beyond.'' She was a great humanitarian who was not afraid to challenge the constraints generally placed on diplomacy and foreign policy. As a result, we now have a broader, morally-grounded view of our country's interests and of what we stand for in the world. That is a legacy of major importance: may we rededicate ourselves to it as we remember Patt Derian with gratitude and affection.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the North Carolina State University Libraries on receiving the 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. This prestigious award, offered annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, is the nation's highest honor given to museums and libraries for exceptional service to their communities. The North Carolina State University Library system has transformed how libraries involve the community to understand, learn, and participate in a myriad of educational activities. The system strengthens North Carolina's K-12 education pipeline, increases the public's literacy, and prepares tomorrow's researchers with college- and workforce-ready skills. Through cutting-edge programming at all of their locations, North Carolina State University has built a library system that can support the university's students and advanced research, while also serving as an incubator for Triangle businesses. This library was one of the first to leap into the digital age, and has been a terrific example for other academic research libraries around the world. Their creative recruitment tactics for librarians and their crowdsourcing of ideas from student committees have made this library an invaluable asset to our state. There are several key spaces for students, faculty, and the community to utilize at the North Carolina State University Libraries. These include digital media editing and production spaces, as well as gaming spaces for creating simulations and virtual environments. Library patrons have access to the D.H. Hill Makerspace, which is equipped with 3D printers, scanners, and laser cutters for users to explore a variety of ideas. There is even an Immersion Theater where students and faculty can display their work on a panoramic screen--I recently had the opportunity to experience a fully recreated historic speech given by John Donne in 1622. North Carolina State University Libraries are one of just ten recipients of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. NCSU Libraries have had a remarkable impact on the entire state of North Carolina. There were approximately 2.25 million visitors to the library last year, with nearly 12,000 registered visitors from 76 countries, 42 states, and 46 counties in North Carolina. As we congratulate all the libraries' leaders, it is also important to recognize Susan K. Nutter, winner of the 2016 Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) Academic/Research Librarian of the Year. As the Vice Provost & Director of Libraries, Susan has been instrumental in building the innovative library system we see today. Mr. Speaker, once again, I offer congratulations to the North Carolina State University Libraries--and each of the nine other National Medal winners--for achieving this distinction for their path- breaking innovations and dedication to serving their communities.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Melody Chalmers, a North Carolinian who has had a wonderful impact on many of our state's children. Earlier this month, Melody was named the Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year for her service as principal of E.E. Smith High School in Cumberland County. Chalmers was selected after a rigorous statewide process involving both interviews and on-site visits. It is clear that she is a truly exceptional principal. Chalmers is long-time North Carolinian, who graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a bachelor's degree in English in 1998. From there, she continued her education at Fayetteville State University, graduating in 2005 with a master's degree in School Administration. As a leader in North Carolina's public schools, Melody Chalmers previously served as an assistant principal at E.E. Smith High and Warrenwood Elementary. She was later principal of Cross Creek Early College High before assuming her current role at E.E. Smith High School. Chalmers has been widely praised for her work in our state's schools. North Carolina State Superintendent June Atkinson lauded her as an ``innovative problem solver who is committed to the academic and personal growth of each of her students and teachers.'' In presenting the award to Chalmers, Juan Austin, senior vice president of Community Affairs at Wells Fargo Carolinas, noted that she has the unique ability to ``recruit and retain quality teachers,'' an especially difficult task given the low pay and long hours our state's teachers cope with on a daily basis. As principal of E.E. Smith High School, Chalmers works with more than 1,000 students and 70 teachers each year. She has fostered a family atmosphere at E.E. Smith that encourages her students to grow into future leaders. I also want to thank Wells Fargo for their continued support of the Principal of the Year program. Their 33-year partnership with the State of North Carolina has touched hundreds of educators and thousands of students, providing resources for schools to continue to grow their inventive programs I wish Melody Chalmers well as she continues her tireless work in North Carolina, creating an environment where every child can reach his or her full potential. She has touched many lives, and the effects of her service will reverberate for years to come.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, for more than 30 years, Sharon Bailey served the hungry and homeless of our nation as the Vice President and Director of the Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) program at United Way Worldwide. Mrs. Bailey passed away on September 9th of last year. We offer our deepest sympathy to her husband and daughter and her extended family, but also to her staff at United Way, the National Board members she served over the years, and especially to the staffs at social services agencies across America that have worked with her since 1983. The EFS program began in 1983 as a creation of the House Appropriations Committee. It was reacting to an outcry across the country to help supplement the local food and shelter providers dealing with a burgeoning problem. Later it was authorized, in 1985, as Title III of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. It's a unique program that is administered by a National Board that determines the funding allocations across the country as well as the eligible uses of the funds. The EFS National Board is chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with membership that includes the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, the Jewish Federations of North America, the National Council of Churches, the Salvation Army and United Way Worldwide. The program is administered at the local level by an EFS Local Board whose membership mirrors the National Board but also contains a representative of local government as well as other agencies active in assisting the homeless and hungry in the community. Eligible services include the provision of overnight shelter and served meals, assistance to food banks and pantries, one month's rental or mortgage assistance to prevent evictions, and one month's utility payments to prevent service cut-offs. The program has a very broad distribution system, annually reaching out to up to 2,500 local communities and more than 12,000 local service organizations (both charitable and governmental). In order to administer such a large program, chiefly among the non-profit community, the EFS National Board chose United Way to serve as the program's Secretariat. It is in that role that Sharon Bailey began her three decades of service to the EFS program. That service included providing leadership to advance the emergency funds of more than $4 billion over the life to the program rapidly while maintaining accountability at all levels. In her position, Sharon served as the sounding board and counselor not only to her own staff but to hundreds of staff on EFS Local Boards as well as Local Recipient Organizations all across the county. She interpreted program policy and, when in doubt, brought waivers and similar requests before the National Board at its monthly meetings. She coordinated the annual audit of the program by independent outside firms, fulfilled governmental requests for information, managed the EFS program's web site and maintained the overall budget of the program. It's important to note that all of this work at the national level was carried out with Sharon and her staff only using 1 percent of the program's 3.5 percent administrative budget. Sharon also arranged the National Board's on-site visits to meet with Local Board and provider groups to understand the program's impact and to learn how to simplify and improve its processes. I attended one of these visits in my District several years ago and can attest to the open exchange of ideas, and also to Sharon Bailey's devotion to the people the program served. Perhaps a recognition of that devotion is the most fitting memorial to her dedication and service to our nation and the people most in need our help.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate and thank Dr. James Billington upon completion of his 42 years of distinguished public service, culminating in 28 years as the 13th Librarian of Congress. He presided over a doubling of the Library's holdings and a major enhancement of the Library's role in American cultural life. Dr. Billington, a Rhodes Scholar and a distinguished expert on Russia, began his career as a professor of history at Harvard University and Princeton University. He served as director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and helped found the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies before coming to the Library of Congress in 1987. Dr. Billington recognized that the Library must be a great public asset, an educational resource for all Americans, not just for academics and Members of Congress. He set about digitizing many of the Library's collections and arranging the purchase and display of dozens of important relics that had long been hidden from public view. He also created the National Book Festival, which has brought hundreds of thousands of book lovers to Washington to celebrate our literary history. As a Member of Congress and a leader of the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), I have particularly appreciated Dr. Billington's application of his background as a scholar of Russia and his extensive international experience to the establishment of the Open World Leadership Center, a unique legislative branch initiative that has brought some 24,000 young leaders from post-Soviet states to the U.S. for intensive exposure to our people and community life. I have enjoyed hosting these delegations in North Carolina, parliamentary colleagues but also teachers, doctors, provincial leaders, and others from all walks of life. The Library and the Congressional Research Service (CRS) have also been invaluable in HDP's outreach to parliaments in democratizing countries, helping build their staff, research, and IT capabilities. This work began with the Frost-Solomon Task Force in the early 1990s, when post-communist states faced the challenge of equipping and operating modern parliaments. It has continued over the past decade as HDP has helped establish research facilities and personnel, with the help of CRS, in countries ranging from Liberia to Afghanistan to Timor- Leste. I congratulate Dr. Billington on his historic career, and I wish him and his family the very best for a well-deserved retirement.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I am offering this amendment on behalf of our colleague from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt) and myself. I thank the chairman, the ranking member, and the staffs on both sides for their cooperation in moving this amendment forward. This is a bipartisan amendment that provides a long, overdue update to HUD's statutory funding formula for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program, also known as HOPWA. HOPWA is the only Federal program that is solely dedicated to providing housing assistance and related supportive services for low- income people and their families who are living with HIV/AIDS. In short, this amendment would base the distribution of HOPWA funds on the current number of people who are living with HIV/AIDS, who desperately need this support. This would replace the current formula based, incredibly, on the cumulative number of AIDS cases since the epidemic began decades ago. Last year more than 50 percent of the people counted in the HOPWA formula were deceased. To say the least, this has drastically reduced HOPWA's ability to aid jurisdictions where the present need is most acute. This is particularly true in rural areas and in cities that are currently bearing the brunt of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Mr. Chairman, Congress has sensibly adjusted other AIDS support programs, including the Ryan White program. So formula funds are distributed based on the number of living HIV and AIDS cases in a given jurisdiction. Only the HOPWA formula remains out of whack, and it is denying thousands of those with HIV/AIDS the housing support they need. The Price-Aderholt amendment makes three changes to the current HOPWA formula: Firstly, it utilizes living HIV/AIDS cases as the major basis of funding distribution, consistent with changes made to the Ryan White program. Secondly, it directs HUD to take into consideration housing costs and local poverty rates to ensure the HOPWA program can better address varied housing needs within jurisdictions. Thirdly, the amendment provides for a gradual implementation of the new funding formula over 5 years in order to ensure that jurisdictions have adequate time to adjust to the new funding levels. A stop-loss provision is also included so that no jurisdiction can lose more than 5 percent of its funding or gain more than 10 percent of its funding on a year-over-year basis. Mr. Chairman, ever since 1997, the Government Accountability Office has identified the need to update the HOPWA formula. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has included similar proposals to update the formula in its budget requests year after year. According to the Department's most recent formula projections, 115 out of 139 jurisdictions in this country would benefit under the proposed formula change. The AIDS advocacy community also supports updating the HOPWA formula to account for living cases of HIV/AIDS. These groups include the National AIDS Housing Coalition, AIDS United, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and the AIDS Institute. In closing, this bipartisan amendment will ensure that our existing Federal dollars, without additional spending or new revenue, are allocated most efficiently and most effectively and most fairly to help those who are living with HIV/AIDS. HOPWA is often the difference between homelessness and access to lifesaving treatment for low-income people with this awful disease. It is long past time to update the HOPWA formula to bring it in line with Ryan White and other AIDS support programs. So I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I inadvertently used the last minute of my time that I hoped to yield to Mr. Quigley. I wonder if the gentleman might yield to Mr. Quigley.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. I rise in strong opposition to this deeply misguided legislation. Reports from international experts, nuclear watchdogs, and representatives of our international coalition make clear that Iran is on its way to fully dismantling its nuclear weapons program. Breakout times at this moment have already been tripled and quadrupled. We need to understand, just because the JCPOA does not deal with all of Iran's abuses doesn't mean that we shouldn't solve the nuclear issue. We have already had that debate. Iran is still a state sponsor of terrorism, and the proposed expansion of its ballistic missile program is particularly troubling. These issues must be addressed. But a nuclear-armed Iran would only make these abuses more dangerous, and it would be wildly foolish to suggest that we must forego our only real opportunity to keep a nuclear weapon out of the regime's hands just because these ancillary issues remain. This bill would do exactly that. It would scuttle the JCPOA, the result of years of international negotiation and diplomacy in cooperation with our international partners. Absent the nuclear agreement, Iran could resume its nuclear program without international oversight, could go back to that 3-month breakout time, and, by the way, continue the state sponsorship of terrorism, continue its human rights abuses, and continue its ballistic missile expansion. In short, this bill would snatch the feet from the jaws of victory as the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program proceeds. It would be reckless in the extreme, and I strongly urge my colleagues to reject it.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a good friend and a devoted public servant, Tom Ross, who retired this month as President of the University of North Carolina system. My wife Lisa and have known Tom and his wife Susan for many years. His son Tommy served in my office, making a major contribution to the development of the House Democracy Partnership. I have long admired Tom's dedication to the university, and I am very grateful for his service to our state. A graduate of the UNC-Chapel Hill law school, Tom answered the call to serve as the UNC system's President in 2011, in the midst of some of the greatest financial challenges that the university has faced in its history. UNC not only overcame these challenges; it has thrived thanks to Tom's perseverance and strategic vision. During his time at UNC, Tom made it easier to transfer from North Carolina community colleges to the four-year UNC institutions, expanding nontraditional students' access to higher education. He has focused effectively on the access of active-duty military and veterans to the system and on enhancing their chances to succeed. He has carefully overseen the selection of 11 new university chancellors, guaranteeing another generation of exceptional leadership for the system's 16 constituent universities. Perhaps most importantly, Tom has led the university through economic adversity, protecting its mission and securing its financial footing. Compared to the beginning of Tom's tenure, UNC system graduation rates have risen 18 percent while spending per degree has dropped 15 percent--remarkable achievements that reflect Tom's leadership. Tom's life has been dedicated to public service. He came to UNC from Davidson College, his alma mater and one of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges, where he served as President from 2007 to 2011. At Davidson, he implemented the Davidson Trust, a new initiative designed to fully eliminate student debt through grants and student employment. This innovative program has helped ensure that Davidson graduates do not face a financial burden as they begin their careers. He also oversaw a period of exceptional growth at Davidson, in part inspired by the on-campus career of Stephen Curry, who has gone on to become the NBA MVP and a global superstar. I suppose it's true that success begets success. Before his tenure at Davidson, Tom was President of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, which provides tens of millions of dollars annually in grants to organizations devoted to economic empowerment. Tom also spent 17 years as a judge on North Carolina's Superior Court, directed the state Administrative Office of the Courts, and led the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Committee, where he oversaw the development and implementation of new sentencing guidelines for non-violent offenders. I cannot fail to note that Tom is leaving the presidency of UNC prematurely. The Board of Governors last year made an unexpected, unexplained decision to request his resignation, while acknowledging that his stewardship had been exemplary. This leaves little doubt that the decision was based on the fact that Tom does not share the Board's partisan loyalties. This was not only shabby treatment of an outstanding public servant; it also set a dangerous precedent for a university system that for most of its history has been free of this sort of political manipulation. Tom has handled this difficult situation with characteristic dignity and grace. His final contribution as president may be one of his most important: to help us move beyond this episode in a way that avoids recrimination, protects the university's integrity, and builds on the many achievements of the past five years. Lisa and I wish Tom well as he transitions to teaching and prepares for future endeavors. With Susan's unfailing support, he has made lasting contributions to our state's judicial system, nonprofit sector, and private and public higher education. He leaves our University stronger in important ways, despite the difficult economic and political environment in which he was called to lead. And he still has much to give. I am pleased to join thousands of North Carolinians in thanking him for his tireless service and in anticipating his contributions yet to come.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this omnibus bill. It will provide funding certainty for the balance of the fiscal year. It casts off the deeply misguided sequester caps that have crippled our appropriations process and also gets rid of poison pill riders that threatened everything from fair housing to truck safety to environmental protection to women's health. This bill will allow us to begin repairing and modernizing our aging highway and transit system. It makes critical investments in railroad and aviation safety and the grants programs, such as TIGER, that will allow us to build a smarter transportation future. The omnibus also makes limited but significant progress toward addressing the affordable housing crisis. It provides desperately needed funds to maintain and rehabilitate public housing, including increased funding for the Choice Neighborhoods program. It includes an increase in HOME Investment Partnerships to promote affordable housing. Mr. Speaker, the bill fails to fully address our known transportation and housing needs. We still have a great deal of work to do. But whatever deficiencies this omnibus contains would only be made far worse by defeating this bill. That would likely lead to a full-year continuing resolution. That would be funding essentially at sequestration levels, decimating if not eliminating programs like TIGER, HOME, Choice Neighborhoods, and transit New Starts. Finally, Mr. Speaker, we must resolve to get our budgetary house in order. We should pass this bill and thank everyone who worked tirelessly to bring it together, but we must stop lurching from crisis to crisis. Surely, we can do better than to depend on the threat of a shutdown to make us perform our most basic tasks. This bill is a small step in the right direction--far better than the alternative--but it is past time for Congress to conclude a comprehensive budget agreement--one that sets responsible funding and revenue levels and allows us to make the investments a great country must make.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 50th anniversary of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Highway Safety Research Center. The Center's mission is to improve the safety, security, access and efficiency of all surface transportation modes by conducting interdisciplinary research and disseminating information. Located on the UNC campus at Chapel Hill, which is in my district, the Center is overseen by the Vice President for Research for the North Carolina University System and the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. The UNC Highway Safety Research Center was formed by the North Carolina State Legislature in 1965 at a time when the public was calling for enhanced highway and vehicle safety and injury prevention. Established during former Governor Dan K. Moore's tenure, the Center began operations in 1966 under the direction of Dr. B.J. Campbell. I'd like to recognize the Center's current leadership, including David Harkey, Director of the Highway Safety Research Center; Lauren Marchetti, Director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School; Charles Zegeer, Director of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center; and Robert Foss, Director of the Center for the Study of Young Drivers. The Center's cross-discipline research--from social and behavioral sciences to engineering and planning--addresses the diverse challenges we face in building safer roads and highways. Research topics include animal-vehicle crash information, bicycle & pedestrian safety and access, child passenger safety, distracted and drowsy driving, motorcycle safety, occupant protection, the safety of older and younger drivers, school travel, traffic operations, and roadway design. Over its 50-year history, the Center has worked with various partner agencies in North Carolina on identifying road safety challenges, developing and implementing strategies, and evaluating the effectiveness of programs and interventions. Partners in North Carolina include the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the Governor's Highway Safety Program, the State Highway Patrol, and many others. In recent years, the Center worked closely with NCDOT to train State professionals on the concept of complete streets, develop and implement the `Watch for Me' pedestrian and bicycle safety program, and develop the 2014 Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The nationally renowned investigators at the center have also translated their results into programs and policies that have been implemented in North Carolina, saving countless lives and injuries. The Center's staff has also trained thousands of safety professionals, and have served as a resource for the public and the media on how to communicate safety messages and provide an impartial voice on timely road safety topics. For 50 years, the Highway Safety Research Center has been a leading research institute that has helped shape the field of transportation safety. We are fortunate that this world-class highway safety research center calls North Carolina home. Again, I want to congratulate the Center on celebrating 50 years of service to the cause of highway safety and road users everywhere. I look forward to their continued work over the coming decades.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, this week, November 16-20, marks the 16th annual International Education Week (IEW), which is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education that serves as an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange programs worldwide and encourages participation in them. This important week is observed all across the United States and in more than 100 countries overseas. I want to recognize some of the efforts within my home state of North Carolina to provide a global education experience to as many students as possible. The theme of this year's IEW is `International Education: Advancing Access for All,' which is critical because opportunities to learn global competency skills are not currently accessible to all students. I want to call attention to the North Carolina State Board of Education, whose members help to guide NC's global education efforts via their 2013 report, `Preparing Students for the World: Final Report of the State Board of Education's Task Force on Global Education.' As noted in this report, ``Students in North Carolina are no longer preparing for future jobs in North Carolina. They are preparing to work and compete in a global workplace. The impact of cultural sensitivities and the capability to collaborate in a diverse international setting . . . cannot be understated. Our State Board of Education in North Carolina is rightfully focusing on these skill areas, as they will become even bigger factors and differentiators in determining the future success of our students.'' At least in part due to this statewide focus on global education, there are an increasing number of course offerings and enrollment in language studies and an increasing number of K-12 dual language/ immersion programs in North Carolina. Today, there are at least 15 world languages being taught in our state's K-12 schools, including Chinese, Russian, Arabic and Hindi. And there are over 100 programs--a number that is rapidly growing--utilizing several different learning models being implemented in school districts across the state. The State Board of Education recently designated Piedmont Middle School as the first Global-Ready School under the Board's Global Education Strategic Plan and 15 schools have indicated an intent to apply for this designation in the upcoming year. I am also proud that North Carolina is home to the nation's first statewide Global Schools Network that serves to connect teachers, school administrators, non-profit and for-profit partners with a deep commitment to international education and 21st century student preparation. The Network's founding partner is VIF International Education, based in my district, an organization that supports the efforts of more than 180 Global Schools in 22 districts across the state. These schools are a mix of urban, rural, low-wealth, affluent, magnet and traditional sites and each provides school-wide access to global learning experiences via international exchange programs, global competence training for all teachers, a school-wide global curriculum, virtual classroom to classroom partnerships, and/or dual-language/ immersion programs. VIF's mission of `Global Education for All' serves as a rallying cry for the schools statewide. Our North Carolina universities further help to advance global competencies at the undergraduate and graduate level. For example, the statewide University of North Carolina (UNC) system hosts a myriad of global education programs, including World View, which provide daily proof of the positive impact of international exchange. And the Center for International Understanding (CIU), a program of UNC General Administration, is working to develop a first-in-the-nation strategy for North Carolina's business, government, nonprofits and educational institutions to strategically engage globally. Many of our state's universities are also using IEW as an opportunity to inform students about how to participate in Study Abroad programs or other opportunities for international learning that encourage the exchange of knowledge and understanding and promote enlightened and responsible global citizenship. The UNC system-to- system student exchange partners currently total 32 campuses in seven countries, and individual UNC campuses offer numerous additional opportunities for students to study or intern overseas. In the 2012- 2013 academic year, more than 6,300 UNC system students participated in a study abroad program, studying in 89 known countries, and the percentage of students participating expected to increase in future years. Further, there are global certificate programs at 6 UNC campuses and most campuses are developing strategies to enhance such offerings. There are also countless faculty-to-faculty interactions that occur across nations in a variety of ways, primarily through research. During this International Education Week, I rise to celebrate these and the many other North Carolina-based organizations that are working day-in and day-out to ensure that our state continues to benefit from the efforts of international education. Further, I re-state my commitment to working this week, and every week, to help ensure that global competence is the norm rather than the exception for every student.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tim Valentine, former Representative from North Carolina's Second District, who passed away last week. Tim was a judicious, conscientious legislator who worked effectively on the Public Works and Transportation and the Science, Space, and Technology Committees. On that latter committee, he was my mentor. We frequently collaborated. Members across the political spectrum valued Tim as a cooperative, congenial colleague, easy to work with, but not afraid to engage in vigorous debate or to take a courageous stand when the need arose. Tim was known for his wit and good humor and his gift for friendship. He had a remarkable ability to defuse any tense situation with humor. He made me look forward to coming to the House floor each day, where he invariably would have a good story to tell or a quip to make that brightened the day, a quip that often cut to the heart of the matter we were dealing with. Tim was a treasured friend and colleague. I am grateful for his life and work, personally, and also on behalf of the institution in which we served and the citizens on whose behalf he labored. Lisa and I attended a beautiful service in Tim's honor last Saturday. We extend our love and best wishes to his wife, Barbara, and the rest of his family.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the University of North Carolina School of Medicine's Dr. Aziz Sancar and Duke University School of Medicine's Dr. Paul Modrich on receiving the 2015 Nobel Prize for chemistry. This is a remarkable accomplishment for Drs. Sancar and Modrich and for the universities and researchers who support their work. As a UNC graduate and a former Duke professor, I am especially thrilled with the announcement. Drs. Sancar and Modrich were awarded the prize in recognition of their work with Dr. Thomas Lindhal of Britain on DNA mismatch repair. The consensus of the scientific community is that this is critically important work that could pave the way for innovative new treatments for cancer and other diseases. Dr. Aziz Sancar is the Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. A native of Savur-Mardin, Turkey and the first Turkish-American Member of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sancar runs the Sancar Lab at UNC, directing the university's biomedical research. He has called North Carolina home since 1982, and he and his wife Gwen created the Turkish House in Chapel Hill and are spearheading efforts to create a permanent Turkish Center at UNC. Dr. Paul Modrich is the James B. Duke Professor of Biochemistry at Duke University and a Member of the Duke Cancer Institute. He has been an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for over 20 years. He heads the Modrich Lab, which has been responsible for a number of major innovations in cancer and biomedical research. He has been at Duke since 1976. This announcement is another important reminder that Congress must renew its commitment to research and innovation. Roughly, two-thirds of our nation's basic research is directly supported by federal agencies. Federal funding from the NIH and CDC provides researchers with critical financial support, and it is one of the most important investments we can make both for public health and the economy. Biomedical research alone creates millions of jobs and adds two dollars to the economy for every dollar invested. We must reverse the shortsighted cuts to research funding imposed by Congress in recent years and once again make robust investments in the sort of research conducted by Drs. Modrich and Sancar. I join with well-wishers from North Carolina and around the world to congratulate Dr. Modrich and Dr. Sancar on their historic accomplishment, and I am proud that these two world-class leaders in biomedical research call the Triangle home.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, as Ranking Member of the House Democracy Partnership, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. This remarkable group of Tunisian leaders and advocates has worked tirelessly to transition their country into a robust democracy after the Jasmine Revolution of 2011. The Arab Spring sparked hope throughout the international community at the possibility of a new day for democracy and human rights in the Middle East. Unfortunately, in many countries that underwent revolution, the hope of positive change has not come to pass. Tunisia, however, has made great progress, and the Tunisian people have had great success developing their own parliamentary democracy in the wake of the Arab Spring. Much of this progress is thanks to the work of The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet. The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet is composed of four different civic groups: the Tunisian General Labor Union, the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade, and Handicrafts, The Tunisian Human Rights League, and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers. These four organizations represent a broad coalition that has sought to create and sustain a new democracy. Throughout the process of adopting a new constitution, holding elections, and governing responsively, Tunisia has depended on the values of toleration and inclusion, and a willingness on the part of contending parties to forgo extreme or exclusive demands--exactly what the National Dialogue Quartet has espoused. As a National Democratic Institute election observer, and working through the House Democracy Partnership, I was privileged to witness a product of the Quartet's work last year when Tunisia held its first successful presidential elections. The Tunisian people went to the polls proudly and peacefully, engaging in the building of a parliamentary democracy that has already achieved a substantial amount and shows great promise for the future. To be sure, great challenges remain, and the international community, including the House Democracy Partnership, must continue supporting Tunisia in its first steps as a new democracy. As the Tunisian people work to ensure effective and open governance and functioning democratic institutions, they are fortunate to have the leadership of advocates like the National Dialogue Quartet.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, it was a little less than a year ago that a number of us gathered on the House floor to bid farewell to our colleague, Howard Coble, as he retired from 3 decades of service to the people of North Carolina. The series of heartfelt tributes that day, from Members on both sides of the aisle, were a striking reflection of the respect and admiration that so many of us felt for Howard. And he returned that affection. He always made the extra effort to get to know those with whom he worked, regardless of their stature or their party affiliation. Howard was also an effective legislator, a tireless advocate for the Sixth District. He took on complicated and difficult issues in his leadership roles on the Judiciary and Transportation Committees. I was fortunate to partner with him on a number of bipartisan initiatives, from textile research, to disaster relief, to funding for his beloved Coast Guard. In an era where our politics are too often fractious and divisive, Howard's camaraderie, good humor, and generosity of spirit reflected the best of what this institution can be. Lisa and I are saddened by his passing. We join his many friends and former colleagues in extending condolences to his family and expressing gratitude for his life.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and in protest to the Republican leadership's failure to bring commonsense legislation to the floor to stem our Nation's tide of gun violence. In the wake of seemingly endless mass shootings, Americans of all backgrounds and diverse political beliefs are urging elected officials to stop merely wringing our hands and actually do something that protects our communities. One measure that has virtually unanimous support is background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill. The problem is that our current background check system is rife with loopholes: background checks are not required at gun shows; they are also not required when individuals purchase weapons online. The bipartisan King-Thompson background checks bill would close these egregious loopholes. It is an entirely sensible reform that would have a measurable impact on the safety of our schools and neighborhoods without preventing law-abiding citizens from using guns for self- defense or for recreational purposes. I wholeheartedly reject the defeatist notion that we cannot do anything about our Nation's gun violence. I ask my colleagues: How much longer must we wait? How many more people have to die to get our attention? How many more American towns and cities must be added to the growing list of places like Columbine, Aurora, Charleston, and Newtown? In the last 3 years, we have had some 20 moments of silence here on the House floor to honor victims of gun violence in the United States. Moments of silence are not enough. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. We need action, and I call on my colleagues to bring the background checks bill to the floor for a vote and to do it now.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this continuing resolution, which will allow us to avoid another completely unnecessary and potentially devastating government shutdown. My vote in favor of the CR does not mean I support the irresponsible sequestration-level budget resolution that has made it impossible to pass FY 2016 appropriations bills, much less the reckless manner in which the majority continues to manage the budget process. The Republican budget announced this spring made no room for the critical investments in infrastructure, housing, research, health care, and education that our country needs to thrive. In fact, it made deeply damaging reductions. Defense appropriators were able to avoid sequestration levels only by using the so-called OCO gimmick, amounting to a $38 billion sleight of hand. It was evident from the beginning that we would have to negotiate new budget numbers--if not a comprehensive agreement of the sort that balanced the budget in the 1990s, then at least a more modest deal like the Ryan-Murray agreement of the last two years--in order to pass our appropriations bills. I and other Democratic colleagues took to the floor again and again to decry these unacceptable budget numbers that simply set us up for failure. Our leaders have been offering to negotiate for months, knowing full well that President Obama would be forced to veto any appropriations bills passed under the Republican budget. Will it take a government shutdown, we asked, to make us do our job? Apparently the answer is ``yes''. The Senate couldn't pass a single appropriations bill. The House passed a few with Republican votes alone, and then the process collapsed under the weight of the Confederate battle flag debate. That was a particularly disgraceful episode, but the process was already on life support. It was never going to work, and Republican leaders have known that all year. Despite the failure of the appropriations process, as represented by this short-term CR, all hope is not lost. We can still salvage the hard bipartisan work of my and other appropriations subcommittees, if, when this CR expires, we can stitch together an omnibus appropriations bill for the balance of the year. The Appropriations Committee still avoids some of the ideological battles that divide this body, and I have been able to work closely with Chairman Diaz-Balart to negotiate a framework for transportation and housing funding. I know that many of the other subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members have made similar progress. Given realistic funding levels, these bills can relatively quickly be converted into acceptable appropriations legislation. So I once again join my colleagues in urging Speaker Boehner to resume bipartisan budget negotiations and produce reasonable, responsible funding levels that can allow the appropriations process to move forward. Today, we're buying ourselves a couple of months. Instead of lurching toward another crisis in December, let's actually come to a consensus on the kind of investments in our future that a great country must make.