David Price

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, section 193 simply ensures that when TIFIA loans are repaid by local funds, they are treated as part of the local share of transportation projects. That sounds like common sense to me. Let me address some of the concerns addressed by my colleague from Georgia. First, this provision was included in the bill with the full support of the authorizers, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Second, when my colleague was in the majority, I would remind him there were no concerns with making permanent authorizing changes on the Transportation appropriations bill, and it did not matter if a highway reauthorization bill was on the horizon. Third, section 193 is not a significant departure from current law. Today, the Department of Transportation may--may--determine that a TIFIA loan repaid from non-Federal funds--that is, local funding--can be designated as part of a non-Federal share of Transportation projects costs. This is particularly important for large, complex projects, which are seeking to piece together local, State, and Federal funding from multiple sources. The gentleman claims to be concerned about small communities losing their fair share of Federal capital investment grant funding, but he should know that we have appropriated ample funding for all projects in the grants pipeline. The bill includes more than $430 million for smaller projects, which are often projects in small and midsize communities, in addition to the $500 million that was appropriated last year. To provide greater certainty to States and local communities, section 193 requires the Department to consider if a TIFIA loan has been repaid by local funds. That is just common sense. If a local government is going to use local revenue to repay a loan, why wouldn't that count as a local share? For an administration that speaks so often about innovative financing, public-private partnerships, and local communities taking on more when it comes to improving our Nation's infrastructure, it makes no sense to discourage State and local governments from contributing to the overall cost of a project. I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I appreciate my colleague's concern about the committee of jurisdiction, so I am happy to be able to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), the chairman of that committee.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, if our colleague says that the word ``may'' was put in to prevent a perversion of the process, I will simply say, as Mr. DeFazio has made very clear, we put in the word ``shall'' to prevent a clear and present perversion of the process. Mr. Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 445, as the designee of the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), I offer amendments en bloc.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, the amendments included in the en bloc amendment were made in order by the rule. Mr. Chair, I support this amendment. I urge its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster).

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I thank our committee chair, and I am happy to rise in strong support of the section of this bill with which I have had the most to do--namely, appropriating for the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development for the next fiscal year. It will make vital investments on behalf of the American people. I thank my partner, Mario Diaz-Balart, who formerly was chairman of this subcommittee, for his continuing cooperation and his collaborative approach. Of course, I also want to express appreciation for our full committee chair, Mrs. Lowey, and for our ranking member, Ms. Granger, for their cooperative approach to the kind of collaboration that inevitably must go into these appropriations bills. I am pleased to report also that, in serving the interests of Members of this body, we were able to accommodate 90 percent of the Member requests from both sides of the aisle. Division E of the measure is what we are talking about, and that is the so-called T-HUD section. It seriously invests in America's infrastructure. It makes transportation and housing safer. It demonstrates our commitment to the most vulnerable among us. It mitigates and responds to the impacts of climate change. Our bill includes $75.8 billion in discretionary funding. That is an increase of $4.7 billion over the 2019-enacted level and a $17.3 billion increase above the President's totally inadequate budget request. Mr. Chair, our Nation is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. This bill dedicates new resources to address it. Section 8 vouchers, for example, are fully renewed. We increased funding for the HOME Program by $500 million and provide the Community Development Block Grant program with $300 million above last year's level. The HOME funding alone translates into more than 30,000 additional units of affordable housing. Our renewed focus on housing and community development does not come at the expense of vital transportation programs. On the contrary, the bill includes $1 billion for BUILD grants, formerly called TIGER grants. We provide more than $3 billion in additional discretionary resources above the FAST Act authorization for highways, transit, and aviation projects. This funding will benefit every State and territory in the Nation. We also robustly fund Amtrak, competitive rail grant programs, and port and maritime infrastructure. Along with these investments, our bill reflects a renewed commitment to safety. A diverse list of hazards, including rising accident rates on our Nation's highways, the high-profile MAX 8 airline crashes, and lead and carbon monoxide hazards in federally assisted housing, requires us to redouble our efforts. We do that in this bill by providing new resources at several points to meet these problems head- on. We also prioritize assistance for vulnerable populations. Nearly $240 million is provided for construction of new housing units for the elderly and for people with disabilities. Programs serving veterans, the homeless, people with HIV/AIDS, domestic violence survivors, and youth aging out of foster care are robustly funded, including resources for new vouchers. Critically, the bill prohibits HUD from repealing the equal access rule that protects LGBTQ people. It also prohibits the department from moving forward with its particularly heartless proposal regarding mixed-status families in Federally assisted housing, which would result in the expulsion of tens of thousands of children whose immigration status is perfectly legal. Finally, I am proud that this legislation lays the groundwork to fully integrate resiliency principles not only in disaster recovery but in the full range of Federal programs under the bill's jurisdiction. For example, it requires HUD grantees to consider storm and hazard mitigation as part of their planning process. So, in closing, Mr. Chairman, this year's T-HUD bill makes forward looking investments in our housing and transportation infrastructure while ensuring concerted attention to safety, to the needs of the most vulnerable, and to resilience. This bill, I am convinced, will benefit all American communities, urban and rural, and it lays the foundation for economic growth and opportunity. Mr. Chairman, I urge support for the legislation.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Debbie Yow, Athletic Director at North Carolina State University (NCSU), who is retiring this month. Dr. Yow joined the Wolfpack in 2010 with the responsibility of leading the athletics department of the largest university in North Carolina. In her eight-year tenure, Dr. Yow has worked to make NCSU's athletics department one of the best in the nation--both in the classroom and in competition. Dr. Yow's tenure as the athletic director has been marked by the unprecedented academic success of NCSU's student-athletes. This past year, an all-time high of 59 NCSU student-athletes were named academic All-Americans. Overall, the students reached a record graduation rate. Under Dr. Yow's tenure, the Wolfpack also made remarkable improvements in competition. In the last three years, an average of 79 students were named competitive All-Americans, an all-time high for NCSU student- athletes. From 2010-12, the school made the biggest single jump of any Atlantic Coast Conference school in history, improving from No. 89 to No. 37 in NACDA rankings. Dr. Yow has received numerous accolades for her outstanding leadership. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics recently selected her as the 2018-19 Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year and named her the 2019 James J. Corbett Memorial Award Recipient, which is the highest honor one can achieve in collegiate athletics administration. Both Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal and the Chronicle of Higher Education have cited Dr. Yow as one of the 20 most influential people in college athletics. Additionally, she was selected to serve on the President's U.S. Department of Education Commission on Opportunities in Athletics, to review the status of Federal Title IX regulations, and was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. Prior to serving as athletic director at NCSU, Dr. Yow served as athletic director at University of Maryland, where she was the first female athletic director in the ACC. Before becoming an administrator, she served as the women's basketball coach at University of Kentucky, Oral Roberts University, and the University of Florida. Yow also served as a high school coach at Williams High (Burlington, NC) and Eastern Guilford High (Gibsonville, NC). She received a bachelor's degree from Elon University and a master's degree from Liberty University. Yow also has been awarded honorary doctorates from Elon, Liberty and the United States Sports Academy. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Debbie Yow for her outstanding contributions to NC State University and to thousands of student athletes.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the 25th anniversary of Safe Kids North Carolina. Housed within the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI), Safe Kids was founded in 1994 with the mission of preventing unintentional child injuries, which are the number one cause of death for children in North Carolina and the United States. Today, the organization leads a state-wide network of 48 local Safe Kids coalitions representing children's hospitals, health departments, fire departments, EMS services and non-profits. This network gives Safe Kids North Carolina a strong presence to provide injury prevention services to communities throughout the state. It is the largest Safe Kids Worldwide state coalition in the United States One of Safe Kids' focus is ensuring parents keep their children safe on the road. Their network of local coalitions held over 100 car seat check events last year and operates 96 permanent car seat inspection stations to make sure car seats are properly installed and to educate parents on child passenger safety. Additionally, last fall, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, the organization hosted a series of Child Passenger Safety Seat Take Back events to help families replace, free of charge, car seats damaged by the region's extensive flooding. At these events, Safe Kids North Carolina made over 400 car seats available to needy families in the hardest-hit parts of the state. In addition to car safety, Safe Kids North Carolina has been a pioneer in drug takeback measures. The organization works with communities and families to decrease the incidence of childhood unintentional medication ingestions. Since 2010, Safe Kids North Carolina has joined with the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement agencies, and community partners in Operation Medicine Drop, which has resulted in the safe disposal of more than 152 million pills of unwanted medication. In the years since Operation Medicine Drop began, the organization has supported over 3,000 events and helped to establish 250 permanent disposal locations across North Carolina. In this program, Safe Kids North Carolina and NCDOI are a model for other states to follow. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Safe Kids North Carolina for its work over the past 25 years to protect the health and safety of all North Carolina children.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I thank our Appropriations chair for yielding this time, and I rise in support of this disaster supplemental, which will provide $17.2 billion in long overdue assistance for North Carolina and for other States and territories that have suffered from devastating natural disasters. North Carolina has been hit by two hurricanes in as many years, with thousands of people displaced, homes destroyed, and livelihoods lost. Meanwhile, typhoons, tornadoes and wildfires, have wreaked havoc on millions of Americans in the South, the Midwest, California, and several territories, including Puerto Rico. The bill before us ensures the Federal Government will remain an active partner in the recovery effort. It provides comprehensive resources for: flexible community development block grants, highway and bridge repairs, Army Corps construction along our coasts and rivers, Department of Agriculture crop and livestock relief, repairs to our military installations, and many other critical recovery activities. We all know that these resources are desperately needed. We all know that they should have been provided months ago. The House passed a similar package back in January that stalled in the Republican- controlled Senate. The President has complicated our efforts, to put it mildly, and he has complicated them in a particularly unfortunate way. He is obsessed with Puerto Rico. He is determined to punish the island for offenses, real or imagined. This has stymied bipartisan and bicameral efforts to help all Americans recover, Puerto Ricans included. And now the President's latest move is to insist that this disaster recovery bill should become a vehicle for his border priorities. The administration is even holding back money that has already been appropriated, including nearly $16 billion in HUD Community Development Block Grants, held up by the White House and OMB for political purposes. This has slowed the recovery, not just in Puerto Rico, but in my home State, North Carolina, in Florida, in Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, and the Virgin Islands. It is time for the President to stop playing politics with disaster funding, and it is time for Republicans in the House and Senate to show some backbone, to say to the White House, ``enough already;'' to join with Democrats to help communities in need. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition to this amendment, though I am not, in fact, opposed.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, I want to thank the gentleman from California for introducing this amendment and highlighting the issue of the FHWA not granting extensions when they are needed and when they are justified. It is important to highlight the issue, and as chairman of the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I am aware of the issue and aware of the delays that affect certain Federal highway emergency relief projects in California. Now, the amendment as drafted would have no practical effect on the funds to administer the program because they are not provided in this particular bill, but I look forward to working with the gentleman and coordinating with the Appropriations Committee, with the authorizing committee, to address this issue in a tangible way. Madam Chair, I have no objection to the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for yielding. Madam Chair, I do want to speak in strong support of this amendment which may well be the most important amendment to be offered this morning. I certainly think that with respect to my home State of North Carolina where thousands of residents are eagerly awaiting the issuance of the Federal Register notice which this amendment references. This notice will unlock billions of dollars, CDBG disaster mitigation funds, to rebuild communities in North Carolina, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Georgia, and other locations. Now, to be clear, while the underlying bill addresses the damage from Hurricane Florence which hit North Carolina last September, this Federal Register notice we are discussing addresses damage from Hurricane Matthew and from other storms, 2016 and 2017 disasters, where we are still awaiting relief and recovery. Secretary Carson promised during our subcommittee hearing last month that the notice we are talking about today would be released on May 1, and as far as HUD was concerned that was achieved. But now it is OMB, it is the White House. They prevented this notice from being released. This so-called review appears to be a change in practice. That is not acceptable. North Carolina residents have endured two hurricanes in the past 3 years. They and other storm victims around this country should not have to endure more stalling and more slow-walking from President Trump. This amendment sends a message that Congress is tired of the administration's delays and that we are serious about helping communities in need. So I couldn't more strongly support this amendment. I commend my colleague and the bipartisan group who have offered it. Madam Chair, I urge support of the amendment.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, although, in fact, I do support the amendment.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chair, the Federal Highway Administration's latest estimate for the Emergency Relief program identified $1.3 billion in projects in disaster-affected areas. This bill actually contains something more than that: $1.65 billion. But the FHWA estimates do not yet account for the damage from the Midwest floods. This amendment would rectify that. It would provide the FHWA with additional resources to address the damage from the flooding in Iowa and other affected States, and then any excess funds would remain available for future disasters. I thank our colleague for offering this amendment. I think it is needed, and I support its adoption. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join numerous colleagues in honoring the life and legacy of James H. Billington, the 13th Librarian of Congress, who died on November 20, 2018. Before Jim Billington's appointment as Librarian of Congress in 1987, he served thirteen productive years as director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Before that, and throughout his career, he was a researcher and author, continuing to produce serious scholarship on Russian history and culture. Jim was the inspiration behind the Open World Leadership Center, a unique Library of Congress--Legislative Branch initiative which for twenty years has administered thousands of exchange visits to the United States of professionals and other leaders from post-Soviet and post-communist states. As a current board member of Open World, I have deepened my appreciation of Dr. Billington's legacy and of the way the Center can compliment and support the House's work, through the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), to promote parliamentary development in emerging democracies. Like many members of Congress, I have enjoyed a cordial and productive working relationship with Jim Billington for years--from the Legislative Branch Appropriations subcommittee, to Open World, to encouraging Congressional Research Service engagement with HDP's partner legislatures, to the building of programs such as American Memory--the national digital library--and the John W. Kluge Center's program for visiting scholars. In recent years, Jim and his wife Marjorie have been a welcoming presence at the wonderful Library of Congress dinners, sponsored by David Rubenstein, featuring authors of major studies in American biography and history. Madam Speaker, Jim Billington lived a full and consequential life of scholarship, institutional innovation, and public service. We miss his cordial and collegial presence as we mourn his passing and appreciate his wide-ranging legacy. We extend gratitude and good wishes to Marjorie and their family in the hope that the outpouring of affections and appreciation will offer solace and support at this time of loss.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague and I rise in strong support of H.R. 1. It is a comprehensive, once-in-a- generation blueprint for reforming our democratic system, ranging from gerrymandering to voter suppression, and voting rights to the dominance of unaccountable big money in our politics. It is an urgent priority rightly numbered H.R. 1, and basic to everything else we need to do. If our democracy doesn't work, nothing works. It represents a culmination of issues I have worked on during my entire time in Congress, particularly, the way moneyed interests can corrupt our politics and how they drown out the voices of everyone else. The For the People Act will modernize our Presidential public financing system. It will establish a new public matching system for congressional races to empower small donors. It will crack down on improper super-PAC coordination with campaigns. H.R. 1 also includes my legislation to repeal the IRS dark-money rule, and it expands my original stand-by-your-ad provision to require corporations and other groups to disclose the top funders when they run political ads over the air or on the internet. These reforms will empower American voters and encourage more diverse candidates to run for office, and will help break the stranglehold of big money on our politics. Let's deliver on the promises we have made to restore integrity, accountability, and transparency to our democracy. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding and for calling this Special Order to pay tribute to our departed friend and colleague, Walter Jones, Jr. Walter died on February 10, his 76th birthday. He lived a full life of service: four years in the National Guard, ten years in the North Carolina General Assembly, and nearly a quarter century in this U.S. House of Representatives. Walter and I met long before either of us served in the House. We worked together on the Jimmy Carter Presidential campaign of 1976. I have a photo on my desk of a very youthful-looking group of campaign workers to prove that. Walter, of course, went on to chart a different course politically, a course that was uniquely his own. In fact, he found himself frequently at odds with, if not one party, then the other, but by the same token, he sometimes found possibilities for alliances and cooperation in unexpected places, and he didn't hesitate to take those opportunities. Madam Speaker, tonight we are going to hear from a wide range of colleagues, an amazingly diverse group of colleagues that reflects the friendships that Walter had in this Chamber. That was also reflected in the delegation that went to Greenville for Walter's funeral service on February 14. He was an independent man and he just had friends all over the place. Now, that independence was rooted in Walter's strong convictions and his personal sincerity. He actually, I think we would all agree, stood out. In an age in which sincerity is sometimes in short supply in our Nation's politics, he earned respect and admiration on both sides of the aisle. The outpouring of tributes and remembrances that we have seen and will see tonight is a testament to that fact. Much has been said about the personal encounters Walter had with veterans of the Iraq war and the families of those who never returned and how those encounters led him to reassess his past and present policy circumstances. Walter sent over 10,000 letters to families of fallen troops and he memorialized those who died from North Carolina's Camp Lejeune with photos outside his office. Walter's determined and effective voice for the military and especially his beloved Marines and his deep love for his home State of North Carolina are going to be missed in these Halls and in the coastal farming and military communities in the Third Congressional District. So we express heartfelt condolences to Walter's wife Joe Anne, daughter Ashley, his loyal staff who are joining us in the Chamber here tonight, his countless friends, neighbors and community members, the lives he touched along the way. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a tribute from one from his longtime staff members, Ray Celeste, Jr. A Tribute to Congressman Walter B. Jones (By Colonel Ray Celeste Jr., U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)) I had the pleasure and good fortune to have served with Congressman Walter B. Jones for almost eight years in his D.C. office as his Military Legislative Assistant. He was an American icon of virtue and American values. He loved America and his constituents deeply. He worked tirelessly on their behalf for many decades. He stood up against injustices that many of them faced. He had an iron-will to do what was best for his constituents. His will was strong and unflinching. We, as part of his staff, worked to ensure we represented the congressman as best as possible and to be as helpful as possible to him and our constituents of the 3rd District. His constituents' services were renowned. Congressman Jones was the epitome of a public servant. He was always working for the betterment of his people. He was their divine servant. He greatly appreciated the sacrifices our military veterans have made for our great Nation. He also appreciated the sacrifices their families make. The general public sometimes overlooks these sacrifices. He did a lot of work in promoting the proper education of military children who are autistic through the use of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Congressman Jones worked tirelessly to help treat service members and Veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and those that suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He promoted the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). He did not think this was a cure-all for PTSD or TBI, but as one of treatment methods that that should be available to service members and Veterans. He authored a legislative provision that was adopted in the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (FY 2017 NDAA). This provision allows for the use of HBOT to be used as a treatment method for PTSD/TBI by the Department of Defense (DoD). He was shocked at the overuse of drugs to treat PTSD/TBI where there was no conclusive clinical trial done that proved a certain regime of drugs could cure or alleviate the horrible mental and physical impacts of PTSD/TBI. In some, if not many cases, it made matters worse. He was shocked at the over reliance on the use of drugs. Congressman Jones looked for holistic methods to treat PTSD/TBI such as the use of service dogs. He also admired the positive influence influences of yoga and combat acupuncture. Congressman Jones was the Republican lead on the legislation to honor Purple Heart recipients and other American heroes by giving them access to Department of Defense commissaries and recreation facilities. The Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 extends access to commissaries and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) facilities to Purple Heart recipients, all veterans with a service-connected disability, Medal of Honor recipients, former prisoners of war, and veteran caregivers. Commissaries are grocery/department stores on military installations that sell food and some household items. MWR facilities offer a range of services on bases including libraries, outdoor recreation, dining, golf courses, and sports and fitness centers. It was adopted in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Two words sum up Congressman Walter B. Jones. He was highly principled and he was a statesman. He thought we, as a Nation, must look at what is best in the U.S.'s interests first. He was not an isolationist, but he did think the U.S. was allowing itself to be taken advantage of by our allies. Congressman Walter B. Jones was a once in a lifetime member of Congress. God bless him, his wife Joe Anne, and their daughter, Ashley. Semper Fidelis.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for presiding over this remarkable series of tributes. It has been a memorable evening--more than I could have anticipated--in the array of colleagues who have paid tribute and in the kind of emotions stirred in all of us, I think, by the memory of a good friend and a good man, but also a sense of the values and the affection that binds us together here. It is too bad, perhaps, that it took an occasion of this sort to bring this out. But I will never forget it, and we will never forget Walter Jones and what he meant to all of us, so I thank the gentlewoman so much.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this conference agreement-- bipartisan and bicameral--averting a second reckless Trump shutdown. This legislation represents the best possible deal to responsibly fund our government and secure our border, while holding true to our values as Americans. This agreement denies the President billions of dollars for an unnecessary wall. It includes a number of provisions to hold the administration accountable. And it boosts funding for humanitarian support for migrants, alternatives to detention, and family case management. The bipartisan agreement also includes six additional appropriations bills beyond Homeland Security. For example, the Transportation-HUD bill, on which Chairman Diaz-Balart and I worked cooperatively for many months, is included in this package. It increases the Trump budget for infrastructure by $23 billion, and it includes investments that were totally eliminated in the Trump budget: community development block grants, the HOME program, New Starts for transit, and the BUILD program. All these are made whole, having been, of course, eliminated in that earlier Trump budget. These six bills were all caught up in the Trump shutdown. They are now salvaged by this agreement. The deal is not perfect. We know that. But it represents the best way to reject the President's outrageous border demand, keep our government open, and address our pressing national needs. Mr. Speaker, let's send this bill to the President's desk. Then let's fight to overturn this phony ``national emergency.''

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleagues in the North Carolina delegation, to remember and honor the life of Representative Walter Jones, Jr., a treasured colleague, a conscientious public servant, and a personal friend to many across this Chamber. Walter died on February 10, his 76th birthday. He lived a life full of service: 4 years in the North Carolina National Guard, 10 years in the North Carolina General Assembly, and nearly a quarter century in the U.S. House of Representatives. Walter and I met long before either of us served in the House. We worked together on the North Carolina Presidential campaign of Jimmy Carter in 1976. I have a photo on my desk of a very youthful-looking campaign team to prove it. Walter went on to chart a different course politically, a course that was uniquely his own. In fact, he found himself frequently at odds with if not one party, then the other. But by the same token, he sometimes found possibilities for alliances and cooperation in unexpected places and did not hesitate to take those opportunities. This approach was rooted in Walter's strong conscience and his personal sincerity. He stood out in an age when sincerity is sometimes in short supply in our Nation's politics, earning him respect and admiration on both sides of the aisle. The outpouring of tributes and remembrances we have seen in recent days is a testament to that fact. Much has been said about the personal encounters Walter had with veterans of the Iraq war and the families of those who never returned, and how these encounters led him to reassess his past and present policy stances. Walter sent over 10,000 letters to families of fallen troops, and he memorialized those who died from North Carolina's Camp Lejeune with photos outside his office. Walter's determined and effective voice for our military--certainly, the Marines especially--and his deep love for his home State of North Carolina will be missed in these halls and in the coastal, farming, and military communities that make up the Third Congressional District. We extend heartfelt condolences to Walter's wife, Joe Anne; his daughter, Ashley; his loyal staff; and the countless friends, neighbors, and community members whose lives he touched along the way. Our State, our Nation, and the institution of Congress will be poorer without him. We will miss Walter's reliable and cordial presence right here in this center aisle. Mr. Speaker, before we observe a moment of silence in Walter's honor, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), the senior Republican in the North Carolina delegation.