David Price

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. That appears to be what is happening. Or else the OMB Director and the President's people in the White House doing this infrastructure plan never checked with each other. I do think the bait-and-switch aspect is the most incredible aspect of this because it really, really would damage transportation efforts that we already depend on.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory and legacy of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu- Salha, whose lives were taken in a violent hate crime three years ago at their home in Chapel Hill. Deah was a 23-year-old student in the School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and had recently married Yusor, who was set to enroll in the School of Dentistry in the fall of 2015. Yusor's sister, Razan, was a 19-year-old student of architecture at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Diligent in their studies, these promising young adults also demonstrated a strong commitment to community service, consistent with the tenets of their Muslim faith. Deah organized food drives and provided free dental supplies to local homeless and underserved communities. Razan utilized her artistic talent through selling portraits reflecting pacifism and tolerance, using proceeds to provide medical and humanitarian aid for children in the Middle East. Yusor, a leader in N.C. State's Muslim Student Association, traveled abroad to provide care for, and share the stories of, refugees displaced by war. In the months leading up to that devastating day, Deah, Yusor, and Razan were fundraising for the Project Refugee Smiles Dental Relief Mission to provide dental care to refugees from war-torn Syria. These three exemplary lives were extinguished on February 10, 2015 by the acts of an anti-Muslim extremist who had long menaced the neighborhood and maintained an arsenal of lethal weapons. This appalling act of violence devastated our community and served as a harsh reminder of the bigotry and hatred that too many still face. In the wake of the tragedy, classmates, friends, and family members came together to turn their grief into action by establishing the Our Three Winners Endowment Fund, a foundation to honor and continue the humanitarian efforts of Deah, Yusor, and Razan. The Foundation has provided grants to the annual Project Refugee Smiles Dental Relief Mission and scholarships for students who demonstrate values of academic excellence and community service. Prejudice and violence against Muslim Americans and other religious, ethnic, or racial minorities has no place in American society, yet many of our fellow citizens continue to experience harassment and discrimination every day. On February 10 of each year, the anniversary of the senseless hate crime that took the lives of Deah, Yusor, and Razan, the people of Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and other communities touched by their lives come together to commemorate their humanitarian legacy and rededicate ourselves to building bridges of understanding, acceptance, and community.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, we are 3\1/2\ months into the fiscal year without a budget. Republicans are proposing to lurch along another month with no resolution in sight and no commitment to address critical investments. Democrats will not be a party to further delay. It is not a great mystery how to deal with this. We have done it each of the last 4 years. We must have a year-long budget in place with a bipartisan agreement to adjust the defense and nondefense caps so that we can pass our 12 appropriations bills. Democrats have been willing to enter into such agreement for at least 6 months. Republican leaders need to reject their Tea Party extremists and conclude a budget agreement across the aisle. We also must be assured of progress toward resolving the status of DREAMers, the 800,000 young people who were brought here as children and have known no other country. President Trump created a crisis in removing the DREAMers' protection. He asked Congress to devise a long- term solution; he then blew up the solution. They are dangerously exposed. We must address their dilemma.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Pota Vurnakes Vallas, who died last week at the age of 109, surrounded by her family. A loving wife, mother and grandmother, pioneering businesswoman, and public-spirited citizen, Mrs. Vallas was one of the Fourth District's oldest residents and the matriarch of Raleigh's Greek community. Lisa and I extend our condolences to her family and her many friends and admirers in the Greek community and beyond. Mrs. Vallas was born in 1908 in the small village of Krissfa, Greece, the eldest of ten children. In 1924 her father, Gus Vurnakes, became the first Greek immigrant to settle in Raleigh and Pota soon followed. Gus opened a fruit and soda stop in downtown Raleigh and Pota assisted him, delivering ice cream and chocolates on a horse-drawn wagon to homes and businesses in Raleigh. In 1927, she married fellow immigrant George Vallas and began raising her family. She and George were stalwart members of the community, helping to establish a Greek Orthodox Church in downtown Raleigh. Eventually George and Pota donated the land upon which Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church stands today. George and Pota lost their home and business in the Great Depression. To provide for her young family, she applied to work for the Singer Sewing Company in 1931 and quickly emerged as a talented salesperson and manager. Her dream of owning her own business finally came to fruition in 1944 when she bought the distributorship of the National Sewing Machine Company and opened National Art Interiors, one of the first interior decorating businesses in Raleigh. Pota's store became a landmark for the finest furniture and fabric companies, furnishing many homes and businesses throughout the state. She ran the business with her daughters and other family members until retiring at the age of 94 in 2002. In addition to managing a thriving company, Mrs. Vallas served on the Boards of First Citizens Bank and the North Carolina Community Foundation. She was a lifelong member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church and a member of Philoptochos. She was honored with the Saint Michael's Award, the highest recognition for a layperson, for her years of dedicated service by the Greek Orthodox Diocese of America. Mrs. Vallas was one of my most memorable constituents. I often saw her at Raleigh's Greek Festival and treasure the memory of delivering a birthday letter from President Obama to her on one such occasion. She was quick with a smile and an encouraging word. She was a woman of great energy and faith, an indomitable spirit. She leaves behind a community that she loved and that loved her in return. We join with that community in mourning her passing and honoring her exemplary life.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Harold Webb--Tuskegee Airman, North Carolina Director of Personnel, Wake County Commissioner--one of North Carolina's most distinguished leaders. Harold died this past Friday at the age of 92 after a lifetime of devoted public service. My wife Lisa and I extend our condolences to his wife Lucille, their family, and all Harold's extensive network of colleagues and friends as we express gratitude for his extraordinary life. Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, Harold attended public schools in Guilford County. Upon graduation, he served as a pilot with WWII's legendary Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American unit to fly and maintain American combat aircraft. His unit received a Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 for its military achievements and was instrumental in paving the way for full integration of the Armed Forces. As the Raleigh News & Observer editorialized yesterday, ``Webb was proud to be a member of the Greatest Generation, and it may fairly be said that he was among those who made it the greatest.'' After the war, Harold received a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Masters Degree in Education from N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University. He then became a teacher and principal in Orange County Schools and served in a variety of state-level education positions, including administrator of Chapter I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in North Carolina schools. In 1977, Harold was appointed by Governor James B. Hunt to be Director of State Personnel, the first African-American to serve in this position. He then served on the Wake County Board of Commissioners from 2003 to 2010, and was Chairman from 2008 to 2009. Harold Webb's board service included The University of North Carolina Board of Governors, Shaw University Board of Trustees, Wake Technical Community College Board of Trustees, Wake County Planning Board, and the National Association of State Personnel Executives. He received an honorary doctorate from NC A&T University and, with Lucille, was inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame in 2011. Harold was a faithful member of St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, where he held numerous leadership positions. Harold Webb made life in Raleigh and North Carolina better for all of our citizens. I and many others valued him as a friend, collaborator, and colleague: a man you wanted on your team. He was a leader who got things done but was quick to share the credit, a kind and generous man skilled at bringing people together, and a great source of encouragement and inspiration. We join with Harold's family, his many friends and admirers, and members of the communities he served, in mourning his passing and honoring his exemplary life of leadership and public service.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding. I am thankful that Mr. Garamendi has taken out this Special Order and that so many colleagues have come out to express their views on this travesty of a tax bill that was passed by the House today and that appears to be on its way to the President's desk. Speaking of the President and how much he will benefit from that, I am sure my colleagues have heard the saying that he campaigned like a populist and is governing like a plutocrat. Wouldn't you say this bill is a pretty good exhibit A with respect to that?

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. It is, indeed. But the Russian role model seems alive and well as we look at the development of the American economy and where we may be going. Mr. Speaker, I am sure my colleague will agree that our Republican friends know this is a very, very unpopular piece of legislation. It is striking, isn't it? They decided that they were going to go into the hole $1.5 trillion, forget about revenue neutrality. They are going to go into the hole and borrow $1.5 trillion. Even with that, they have not been able to write a bill that most of the American people feel a benefit from. It is extraordinary. Well, the fact is that most of the American people won't benefit from this bill. I think they are on to that. The latest polling shows that Americans oppose this bill by a margin of 2 to 1. That is, of course, before they have even felt the effects of this bill. I think Republicans know that this opposition is only going to get stronger the more people figure out what is in this bill. That may be why they have rushed this thing to passage in the most chaotic legislative process I can ever remember. They released thousands of pages of text on this bill last Friday and expected to vote on it today, of course. Maybe that is the reason why they held no hearings. The less people know, the better. Maybe that is why we have had almost no debate. Maybe that is why they won't even allow for a complete scoring of the bill by the Joint Committee on Taxation or the Congressional Budget Office. Maybe that desire to cover up the consequences of this is the reason they have added these questionable provisions, to provide a fig leaf of coverage for hesitant Members, skittish Members who want to be able to explain this vote back home. Mr. Speaker, I have heard for years Republican colleagues decry fiscal irresponsibility, a lack of regular order in these Chambers and a lack of orderly, responsible procedures. They have talked about tax reform that simplifies the Tax Code, that benefits hardworking families. Well, what we have seen today and what we have seen in recent days as this bill came to the floor is just a total contradiction of all that they have professed to stand for all these years. These words are nothing but lip service and false promises. They have sloppily drafted this bill behind closed doors. They plan to raise taxes on 86 million middle class families, and they plan to add $1.5 trillion to the national debt. Despite claims that this bill will benefit the middle class, 83 percent of the tax cuts go to the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. And they have also taken aim at healthcare, as if the tax travesties weren't enough. By eliminating the so-called individual mandate, the GOP tax scam will explode premiums, and it will add 13 million Americans to the ranks of the uninsured. The bill is a windfall for large corporations that want to ship American jobs overseas. They want to cut staff. They drive down wages and salaries. This bill will facilitate that. Plain and simple, the Republican tax scam asks hardworking families and future generations of Americans to foot the bill for huge tax cuts for corporations and for the wealthiest. And we haven't seen the end of it yet. Do you know what is coming next? You can bet that, once this bill passes, Republicans are going to pivot. They are going to pivot in a heartbeat to pose as the guardians of fiscal rectitude. Having abandoned any pretense of revenue neutrality in this bill and having added $1.5 trillion to the national debt and having triggered a $25 billion Medicare sequester cut, they are, all of a sudden, going to sound the alarm: Poor us. We are broke. Our country is broke. We have got to squeeze Medicaid now. We have got to squeeze Medicare. We have got to squeeze Social Security. We have got to squeeze investments in transportation, housing, education, and research. You can see it coming. We have seen this bad Republican movie before, although never on such an epic scale.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is absolutely right. This has been in Republican budgets forever, this war on the kind of safety net provisions that so many of our fellow citizens depend on. Fiscal rectitude, indeed. They are willing to go $1.5 trillion in the hole, willing to borrow that money, to take the national debt to dangerous levels. But it is a matter of being able, then, to say: Poor us. Our country is broke. We can't afford to invest in our people. We can't afford to build our infrastructure. We can't even afford to leave intact the safety net that people have spent their lives depending on. It is a travesty. This tax bill is not just about taxes. It is about keeping faith with the American people; and that faith, this very day, has been broken by the Republican Party. Mr. Speaker, I should say this. They had an opportunity to do this the right way. This wasn't inevitable. This wasn't written in stone. They could have worked with Democrats in Congress in a bipartisan way to figure out how to grow the economy and how to simplify our Tax Code. Do you remember that? Simplify the Tax Code and file it on a postcard. This bill makes the Tax Code far, far more complicated. It is a dream bill for tax lawyers and accountants. So no more simplification. That has been forgotten. They were going to lower the tax burden for middle class families. We could have figured out how to do that without exploding the debt. There are many, many things we could have achieved together. We have, here, a once-in-a-decade opportunity, and they have blown it, they have squandered it, and that is a source of great regret. In fact, the Republicans have jeopardized our economic future to give tax cuts, tailor-made, for corporate lobbyists and, as they have actually said, to make their donors happy--to make their donors happy. Mr. Speaker, we hope against hope that the Senate might yet do the right thing, and when they have to clean up this bill to bring it back to the House for yet another vote, that our House colleagues--it was a narrow vote. It was a narrow vote. It would be wonderful to turn it around. But we certainly need to make sure that there is no mistake how this has happened, what has happened, and we must start, this very day, to figure out how to make our economy and our country whole and to make it work for all of our people. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for this opportunity. This is very, very useful to be able to have this kind of extended discussion. Even though the subject matter is not happy--we have had a very bad day here in the House of Representatives--it is important for us to pick up, move ahead, and realize the task that lies ahead.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of a devoted public servant, community leader, and friend, William V. ``Bill'' Bell, whose tenure as Mayor of Durham, North Carolina ended this month after 16 years in office. A native of Washington, D.C. who earned engineering degrees from Howard University and New York University, Bill began his career in the private sector, eventually retiring as a senior engineer at IBM in Research Triangle Park. He was first elected to the Durham County Board of Commissioners in 1972 and served until 1994 and again from 1996 to 2000, including three terms as chairman from 1982 to 1994. He was elected Mayor of Durham in 2001 and re-elected six times, making him the longest-serving mayor in Durham's history. During his more than four decades in politics, Bill was a visionary force behind Durham's transformation from a declining tobacco town into a vibrant, modern paragon of the ``new South,'' bustling with commerce, cultural events and attractions, world-class hotels and restaurants, and a thriving entrepreneurial community. He played an instrumental role in the merger of the Durham County and Durham City school systems, the financing of major downtown amenities such as the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and Durham Performing Arts Center, and, more recently, the planning for the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit project. Even as he has worked to attract new ideas and new investment to Durham, Bill has worked tirelessly to ensure that all Durhamites would benefit from their community's growth. He continues to serve as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the UDI Community Development Corporation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the education and economic welfare of low-income and underprivileged Durham residents. I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Bill during his more than 40 years in North Carolina politics, and especially since Durham became part of the Fourth Congressional District in 1997. We worked together especially on appropriations projects, to improve the corridors to downtown, to remedy a ``food desert,'' and to develop affordable housing and livable neighborhoods. I and many others found Bill to be an ideal collaborator, able and willing to work cooperatively with all sorts of people, ready to embrace new ideas and approaches, loyal to Durham and determined to realize its potential. Even as he retires from public office, Bill will continue to serve the people of Durham through UDI Community Development Corporation and through his active involvement in other civic and charitable organizations. And his legacy will live on through the countless lives he has touched and the indelible impact he has made on the Bull City, which is today more prosperous, dynamic, and inclusive than ever before. Lisa and I, along with constituents in the Fourth District and colleagues in the North Carolina congressional delegation, want to thank Mayor Bell for his dedicated service and exceptional leadership and wish him and his family the very best as he begins the next chapter of his life.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I stand in opposition to this bill. The Iran nuclear agreement stands as a major diplomatic achievement that has destroyed Iran's capacity to develop a nuclear weapon. Detractors point to Iran's bad behavior in other realms--ballistic missiles, support for Hezbollah, violations of human rights. We acknowledge these problems. Nobody is talking about coddling Iran or apologizing for Iran. I resent that implication by the last speaker. The fact is, we take these problems and these challenges very, very seriously; but we also note that there is not a one of them that wouldn't be much more serious if we were dealing with a nuclear-capable state. So we have got to protect this agreement. We have got to be wary of any proposals that would directly or indirectly threaten it. And that brings us to the bill before us, H.R. 4324, the so-called Strengthening Oversight of Iran's Access to Finance Act, which would make it much more difficult for Iran to purchase commercial aircraft from firms that do business with the United States. Now, as we all know, Iran's ability to replenish its aging civil aviation fleet, which was depleted by decades of sanctions, was a key incentive for Tehran to sign on to the JCPOA. Kenneth Katzman of the Congressional Research Service said: ``Iran would view the bill's enactment into law as a breach of the JCPOA. The agreement contains a clear U.S. commitment to undertake such sales to Iran.'' But this bill imposes reporting and certification requirements that could well prompt the Treasury Department to cease issuing licenses allowing for such sales if this certification were to be contingent on non-nuclear factors, factors outside the deal. Richard Nephew, the lead sanctions expert for the U.S. negotiating team, put it this way. He said: ``My take on this bill is that, if implemented the way I expect, it probably would violate the JCPOA.'' Now, I suppose we have to entertain the possibility that that actually is what the authors of this bill have in mind. Maybe that is the idea, to give the Trump administration and the Iranian hardliners a way of sabotaging the agreement. Already, President Trump has tried to undermine the JCPOA by refusing to certify Iran's compliance with the deal when, by all accounts, Iran is, in fact, complying. Now, by directly blocking a specific provision of the agreement, namely, the permissible sale of commercial passenger aircraft, this legislation would send a clear message to Iran that the United States does not negotiate in good faith. It would imply that we expect to have it both ways, with Iran dismantling its nuclear facilities and getting nothing in return. The bill before us today would also break faith with our P5+1 negotiating partners in a reckless and dangerous way. Because of this agreement, Mr. Speaker, the breakout time for Iran to develop enough weapons-grade material for a nuclear weapon went from 2 or 3 months to more than a year. Because of this agreement, the international community has 24/7 access to Iran's nuclear sites, an unprecedented degree of access, intrusive inspections. And because of this agreement, we possess an enforcement mechanism to ensure Iran's compliance. Why on Earth would we give up these capabilities by failing to uphold our end of the bargain? That is the way agreements work. We uphold our end of the bargain. We don't sabotage agreement by deceptive legislation like that bill before us. So, in light of renewed tensions on the Korean Peninsula, now is especially not the time for the United States to go back on its word to our allies and to the international community. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 4324.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us creates a dangerous race to the bottom, forcing States to accept concealed carry permits from all other States, regardless of their training standards, their background check system, or their safety requirements. Make no mistake, this bill would make it easier to cross State lines with hidden, loaded weapons, threatening local communities by making it harder for law enforcement to determine who is lawfully caring a firearm. No wonder sheriffs, police chiefs, and other law enforcement agencies oppose this bill. What a shame it is that, after the terrible mass shootings in Las Vegas and Texas, the first gun-related bill this House considers would actually make it easier for dangerous people to carry concealed weapons in more places. Mr. Speaker, these tragedies aren't inevitable. They are the result of policy choices. We could be working together to enact commonsense measures to respond to the gun violence epidemic facing our country. But as long as Republicans are beholden to NRA extremism, these proposals, I am afraid, will fall on deaf ears. I urge my colleagues to reject this shameful proposal and to work, instead, to address the root causes of gun violence in this country.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, it is increasingly obvious what a sham of a tax plan the Republicans have proposed, slashing taxes on the superrich and large corporations at the expense of the middle class. What is less well known, and what the Republicans don't want to talk about, is their proposal to repeal tax-exempt private activity bonds and, therefore, to kill the same public-private partnerships that they profess to support. States, local governments, and private partners around the country use private activity bonds to finance a wide array of infrastructure projects, like highways, airports, hospitals, water treatment facilities, and affordable housing. In North Carolina, for example, private activity bonds financed and upgraded the terminal at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and are being used by our State housing agency to attract investors for new multifamily housing developments worth more than $700 million. If Republicans get their way, these projects would die on the vine, and more than 6,200 units of affordable housing would simply disappear. How does that help working families realize the American Dream? At a time when funding for housing and infrastructure is continually squeezed, the last thing we should do is push through a plan that would hamstring our State and local governments and destroy our ability to leverage private investment. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the Republican tax plan.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding, and I commend him for taking up this Special Order and giving Representative Adams and myself the opportunity to participate and to pay tribute to the General Baptist State Convention. The mention of Shaw University brings me to my feet because I, too, want to reflect on this significant Baptist institution, which is in the Fourth Congressional District, in downtown Raleigh. Shaw has also recently celebrated its 150th anniversary, a history that parallels that of the General Baptist State Convention. I was there last week in historic Estey Hall. I have to say--yes, point out the historic building there on the campus--when I first came to the Congress in the 1980s, my first appropriations earmark was for Estey Hall. Believe me, that was just a little bit of seed money. But Shaw has restored that building in a beautiful way. The acting President of Shaw, Dr. Paulette Dillard, is doing a wonderful job of leading that university. But the occasion last week was an inaugural lecture. The Adam Clayton Powell-Ella Baker lecture is going to be an annual occasion at Shaw. I was honored to give that lecture to a very lively group of students and faculty. Then we had a luncheon in Estey Hall afterwards and a great discussion, just liberal arts education at its best. I appreciated being part of that occasion, and I certainly, over the years, have come to appreciate what Shaw means: a Baptist institution. It is tied very, very closely. Shaw University Divinity School is affiliated--an institution that this convention has nurtured and that, in turn, has served thousands of people, and enriched the life of North Carolina.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for this opportunity. I would like to conclude by reflecting on some of the outstanding pastors who have led this convention and led the congregations that comprise this convention. I hesitate to name any because there are so many who have served so faithfully and so well. But I want to share some memories, and I think our listeners in North Carolina will remember these as well. They exemplify what this convention has been all about and the leadership it has offered. Dr. Charles Ward, for example, long-term pastor of the First Baptist Church in Raleigh, a civil rights leader, a mentor to so many people over the years, and a revered pastor. I remember him so well as I first began to think about running for Congress and sought his counsel. He unfailingly gave wise counsel and encouragement. He, of course, was a leader in the General Baptist State Convention. Reverend Lorenzo Lynch, from Durham, North Carolina, another former leader of the convention. His son, Leonzo, is now the vice president of the convention. Leonzo Lynch is a powerful prophetic preacher. He had a huge impact on the city of Durham. The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People recently honored his lifetime achievements. And his daughter, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, returned to Durham to be part of that recognition. I think of C.R. Edwards, former president of the convention, pastor for so many years at the First Baptist Church of Fayetteville, a long- term leader of the North Carolina General Assembly, and special assistant to North Carolina's Governors. Again, a mentor, a wise man, someone who was a good man and who knew how to bring out the best in others. I think of W.B. Lewis, who recently passed away, another former president of the convention. He was pastor for a long time of the--I say a long time--decades upon decades of the First Cosmopolitan Baptist Church in Raleigh. He was a pioneer in figuring out how to work with the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to form a nonprofit corporation to build affordable housing, which, to this day, stands in Raleigh--rental housing for the elderly. Finally, I think of John R. Manley, 60-plus years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, a dear friend of mine. Another former president of the convention, by the way. This was a pattern for these leading pastors to offer that kind of State leadership, as they were offering local leadership. John Manley also was a champion of housing. Manley Estates stands right there in that community. I know how hard John Manley worked on that because we worked together. We have this housing in the community because of his vision. I can go on and on. But this is such an impressive honor roll of leaders--pastors--who have not only led their flocks, but they have led the State and, in many cases, national religious organizations. The General Baptist State Convention has enabled millions of people over these years to deepen their faith and to express that faith in ministering to those whom Jesus called, ``the least of these,'' and to advance the struggle for justice in this country. So I am proud to join my colleagues in this tribute tonight. And I say to the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina that many faithful members of the congregations, the leaders, may you go from strength to strength, and may you continue to approach the gospel powerfully and be a force for good and justice and right in our community.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a friend, former colleague, and leader in promoting international cooperation and understanding, who was recently recognized by a key U.S. ally for his outstanding work. Last month, David Dreier received the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor bestowed to a foreign national by the Government of Mexico. Those of us who served with Representative Dreier know him as the former chairman of the House Rules Committee, as a faithful representative of his Southern California district for more than three decades, and as a forceful champion of democracy, free trade, and the rule of law. An avowed ``Reagan Republican,'' Dreier was instrumental in crafting many of our nation's trade policies, including the North American Free Trade Agreement. What some may not realize is that Representative Dreier was also a leader in cultivating closer ties and cooperation between the United States Congress and its partner legislatures around the world. Through our work on the House Democracy Partnership (HDP)--which he served as the founding chairman and I as chairman during the years of Democratic leadership--we had the opportunity to work together to advance the cause of parliamentary democracy, traveling widely and memorably to parliaments from Peru to Pakistan and hosting dozens of delegations of visiting legislators and staff in Washington. During these engagements, Representative Dreier was a consummate diplomat and a skilled mentor, navigating sometimes-difficult bilateral issues but also the practical questions of how parliamentary institutions could be more effective. Our work together epitomized the maxim that partisanship should end at the water's edge--a spirit that persists today under the leadership of current HDP chairman Peter Roskam. While our work with HDP focused on less developed democracies, Representative Dreier always had a special interest in--and fondness for--the parliamentary democracy on our southern border, Mexico. He was an active member of the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission, a leader of the U.S.-Mexico Inter-parliamentary Group, a co-chair of the U.S.- Mexico Congressional Caucus, and a frequent participant in congressional delegations to Mexico. During our work with HDP, he often invoked Mexico as an example of democratic development and spoke fondly of his work as an election observer in the country. It is fitting that Representative Dreier has been acknowledged for this work by receiving the Order of the Aztec Eagle, joining leaders such as President Eisenhower, Nelson Mandela, and Queen Elizabeth II as well as cultural icons such as Walt Disney, Placido Domingo, and Bono. I know I speak for many in extending him my warmest congratulation, and in wishing him well in his continued post-congressional service.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce today's guest chaplain, my friend, Imam Abdullah Antepli. Imam Antepli has been a pioneer in Muslim Campus Ministry, serving since 2003, in chaplaincy roles at Wesleyan University, Hartford Seminary, and Duke University. He was also a founding member of the Muslim Chaplains' Association. During his time in the chaplaincy, Imam Antepli counseled students and adults of all faiths and provided an Islamic perspective to discussions of faith, spirituality, social justice, peace, and cultural exchange. He effectively built bridges and promoted an understanding across religious and cultural divides. That was his mission, and it continues to be his mission to this day. Imam Antepli's leadership roles at Duke University currently include chief representative of Muslim affairs at the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and senior fellow in the Office of Civic Engagement. He has also served as associate director of the Duke Islamic Studies Center. Imam Antepli also serves as senior fellow of the Jewish-Muslim Relations at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He joined Secretary John Kerry's Office of Faith-Based Community Initiatives and Secretary Hillary Clinton's religion and foreign policy team to bring a religious perspective to major foreign policy issues. He traveled around the world as an informal ambassador to engage on issues of religious diplomacy. I am honored to welcome Imam Antepli back to the House of Representatives. He is a prophetic voice for peace and justice, an engaging teacher and counselor, a gifted interpreter of his faith, and an effective promoter not merely of interfaith tolerance, but of positive engagement. I am happy to count him as a friend and, along with my colleagues, wish to express appreciation for his words of inspiration today.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor one of North Carolina's finest and most distinguished citizens, James Dickson Phillips, Jr., former Dean of the Law School of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Judge Phillips died at home in Chapel Hill on August 27, at the age of 94. A native of Scotland County, North Carolina, Dickson Phillips attended the public schools of Laurinburg and then Davidson College, where his athletic, academic, and leadership abilities became evident. He joined the army upon graduation in 1943. He was commissioned a lieutenant in the 17th Airborne Division and led his platoon as part of Operation Varsity, the largest single-day airborne assault in history. He was badly wounded in a firefight with retreating Germans and was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service. Phillips enrolled in the UNC-Chapel Hill Law School after the war. He excelled as a student and in the practice of law and was invited to join the faculty in 1960. He was named Dean in 1964 and served for ten years. The present Dean, Martin Brinkley, describes him as one of the school's greatest deans and a ``trailblazer'': By the fall of his second year as dean, total enrollment at the law school had more than doubled. The faculty also nearly doubled in size during his deanship. Dean Phillips hired Carolina Law's first African- American visiting faculty member, Harry Groves, and its first full-time African-American member, Charles Daye. There was only one African- American student at the law school when Phillips became dean; by 1973, there were 23, along with two Native American and one Latino students. The ten women students who enrolled during his first year had swelled to 121 by the time he left. During his 10 years as dean, Phillips inaugurated the Holderness Moot court program and the McCall Teaching Award. Small section classes were instituted for first-year students, and the upper-class curriculum greatly expanded. The first-ever clinical classes were sponsored. By far the largest fundraising effort in the law school's history up to the time was successfully executed, while the 10-year North Carolina bar passage rate among Carolina Law graduates averaged 95.8 Percent. President Jimmy Carter in 1978 appointed Dickson Phillips to a seat on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, where he served until 1994--the ``greatest judge produced in North Carolina'', in the judgment of former UNC Law School Dean Gene Nichol ``since (eighteenth-century US Supreme Court Justice James) Iredell.'' As was recalled in his obituary, ``His role as an appellate judge brought together his great personal attributes of precision, clarity and wisdom along with a love of justice and mercy and a generous but realistic understanding of human nature and foibles . . . He brought both a long view of history and the particular experience of life in North Carolina of the Depression and post-war years to his decisions.'' Judge Phillips' major cases involved some of the most contentious issues of the day--minority voting rights, gerrymandering, and sex discrimination. In a series of decisions beginning in 1982 with the Gingles case and continuing into the 1990s with the Shaw decisions, he led three-judge federal panels in rejecting state legislative districting that diluted minority voting strength, and upholding as constitutional majority-minority congressional districting. These cases remain important in enabling African-Americans to achieve representation in state legislatures and Congress. In the sex discrimination area, he dissented from the Fourth Circuit panel's finding that the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) could constitutionally provide a ``separate but equal'' program for women, a position that the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately adopted. Over the years, Dickson Phillips served on many other fronts--as a trustee of Davidson College, a founding trustee of the NC Nature Conservatory, and first chairman of the state Ethics Commission. He and his wife Jean were faithful members of the University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, where they both served in many leadership roles. I consider myself fortunate to have known Dickson Phillips late in his career--a man of great dignity, a source of wise counsel, always generous with words of encouragement and support. Stories abound of his great kindness, never too busy to relate to aspiring students, law clerks, and citizens of all walks of life. We grieve his loss with his family and friends, even as we express our gratitude for a life of great integrity and accomplishment, with positive consequences for those he touched, and for even more who may never know his name.

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, my amendment would restore the EPA's Science and Technology account to 2017 levels. I offer this amendment to underscore the importance of environmental research to the health and safety of the American people, as well as thousands of jobs in my district and across the country. This amendment is framed in increase-decrease terms for the simple reason that, given the subcommittee's inadequate allocation, there is simply no place to turn for an offset. The EPA's Science and Technology account funds research and development activities within the agency, supporting the work of the world's leading environmental research enterprise and informing the environmental policies that Congress enacts. The bill on the floor today would cut this account by $105 million, a 15 percent reduction. About the only good thing I can say about that is that it isn't as bad as the Trump budget, but it is still a deep and devastating cut. Mr. Chairman, we have to restore these funds as this bill moves through the remaining stages of the process. The EPA's Office of Research and Development funded by this account not only supports EPA programs in air, water, toxicology, and energy research, but it also facilitates innovative partnerships with some of the premier higher education and research institutions in the country. EPA research facilities employ more than 2,000 people, supports some 700 affiliated jobs in my district alone. This includes advanced laboratory scientists, administrative personnel, also blue-collar jobs in maintenance, custodial, and security positions. The EPA research that this agency conducts, world class research, it allows us to remain proactive in protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, resources, whose safety we must never, ever take for granted. Now, I know the EPA is continually a scapegoat when it comes to spending cuts. In times of crisis, however, we don't hesitate to call on them to respond quickly to events that could pose a threat to the environment and public safety. Just last week in the devastating wake of Hurricane Harvey, sites containing dangerous chemicals and contaminants were severely flooded and damaged. Research from this office, the office being cut in this bill, proved invaluable in putting together a safe and effective response. In other words, the EPA is part of the first line of defense to respond to events that pose threats to public health and safety. It follows that if we gut the EPA's research budget, we are putting ultimately the American public at risk. The EPA research cuts underscore, I think, how fraudulent the claim is that this is a bill that would make America secure and prosperous. Really? In reality, it would cripple investments that Americans count on each and every day to keep them safe and healthy. Mr. Chairman, I remain hopeful that a bipartisan budget agreement will be reached that will allow us to restore this research funding and do right by the people we represent. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I have to acknowledge that the chairman did a pretty good job of describing some of the research that we have underway in North Carolina and around the country, and I know he understands that and wants to support it. I also know that we have got to do better than the allocations represented in this eight-bill omnibus effort. So I pledge to work with him and other colleagues to achieve that kind of agreement, and then also to revisit this account and other accounts that we know need attention if we are to do our duty as representatives of our communities and also maintain the investments a great country must maintain. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding. I thank Chairman Calvert for engaging in this colloquy with Mr. Lance and Ms. Slaughter and me. We are highlighting the importance of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and the importance of robust funding for the work of those agencies. There is no more efficient dollar spent in the entire Federal budget. I will say in a minute what I mean by that. I am very happy to be co-chairman, with Mr. Lance, of the Congressional Humanities Caucus, to be a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus, which Ms. Slaughter and others have led, and proud to support the missions of these two agencies. Federal support for the arts and the humanities affirms America's rich and diverse cultural and artistic heritage. It really is an investment in the quality of life of our people. I think we should see it that way, and we need to be steadfast in our support and our investment. It is one of the most efficient we make, as I said. It leverages private, nonprofit, and corporate dollars. In 2015 alone, for example, Federal NEH museum grants leveraged $104 million in outside funding from only $33 million in Federal funds. That is a pretty good return for the taxpayer. They support millions of jobs, these endowments do, and the projects they fund, hundreds of millions of dollars in direct economic activity, and the American public loves them. Participation all over this country, in communities large and small, rural and urban, is widespread and enthusiastic. So again, I thank the chairman for his attention to these important lines in the budget. I hope we can bolster our commitment to the arts and humanities and do even better as the appropriations process moves forward.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres).

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I thank our ranking member for yielding, and I thank her and our chairman for their good work. I must still rise, however, in opposition to the fiscal 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bill, and the Republican Omnibus bill. I want to stress, Mr. Chairman, that I am heartened, as I imagine every Member of this body is heartened, by the bipartisan cooperation we have been able to muster to reach out to our neighbors in Texas and Louisiana who have been so devastated. It is the same kind of solidarity and cooperation that I know we will muster, whatever the need is after Irma reaches our shores. We anticipate that storm with a great deal of concern and apprehension. We have a history in this body of pulling together when it matters for our neighbors whenever disasters strike. That kind of cooperation is absolutely essential to who we are as a country and who we are as an institution. Mr. Chair, I want to urge that we bring that same spirit of cooperation, that same understanding of the historic cooperation that has characterized appropriations, to our larger appropriations challenge. After all, this is the power of the purse. This is our main constitutional power, and history shows it works best when it is exercised cooperatively, no matter who the President is or what the party division is. We need to work in a cooperative fashion to make sure that this power is just as effectively and responsibly exercised as possible. This eight-bill exercise in which we are engaged today is a deeply flawed process. We need to overcome this, and I believe eventually we will, with a bipartisan budget agreement such as we have had each of the last 4 years. This will let us cooperatively write appropriations bills that address our country's needs. But that is not where we are today, Mr. Chairman. I do want to give the chairman of our subcommittee, Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, credit for an open and collaborative process, but he and the subcommittee have been dealt an inadequate hand. We simply can't do what needs to be done with this allocation. In the case of the T-HUD bill, we have only appropriated $56.5 billion for vital transportation, housing and community development programs, and that is $1.1 billion less than the enacted level. We have got to do better than this. We have got to do right by our country's infrastructure needs. One of the most egregious omissions in this bill is funding for the TIGER program. This is a program that has addressed infrastructure needs across our country. Estimates are that we are addressing only 5 percent of the meritorious projects put forward under TIGER. I can tell you about one project we are funding. I visited it last week: Union Station in Raleigh, North Carolina, a beautiful multimodal facility that is going to facilitate passenger rail, transit, buses, intermodal transportation, and it is going to revitalize a landmark downtown district. That is an ideal use of TIGER funds. Communities all over this country need that sort of investment, yet this bill zeros that program out completely. It also cuts New Starts for transit--Capital Investment Grants--by $659 million. Now, I give the chairman credit for including bill language to ensure that the FTA continues to rate and review projects in the New Starts pipeline, but at this funding level, only a few of those projects can actually be funded. Our cities across this country are eager to institute transit programs. They have gone through all the steps to do this responsibly. We need to keep faith with those communities by improving on this aspect of our bill. Over at HUD, the Choice Neighborhoods program--formerly called HOPE VI--that has transformed dozens of public housing developments into thriving, mixed-income communities, receives only $20 million in this bill compared to $137 million in the fiscal '17 bill. Now, I recognize this is a placeholder amount, and I look forward to working to improve this number moving forward.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Additionally, the Community Development Block Grant and HOME programs are each cut by $100 million in this bill despite bipartisan calls from local elected officials across the country to preserve those funding streams. We are in the midst of a housing crisis nationally. Only one in four people eligible for Federal rental assistance can receive it. We have a huge public housing capital backlog, and our infrastructure continues to crumble, resulting in decaying highways and bridges and congested roads. We should be increasing our commitment to meet these housing and transportation needs, not shortchanging them. We have done this for far too long already. We have returned again and again to appropriations, especially domestic appropriations, to bear the whole brunt of deficit reduction. The results are a disaster for our economy and for the work of our appropriations committees. It is truly the worst of both worlds. We are not really addressing the main drivers of the deficit, yet we are doing untold damage to critical national investments. I strongly object also to several policy riders in this bill. They unnecessarily attack high-speed rail, they roll back transportation safety, and they harm labor rights. No number of amendments offered today can fix this bill. I remain hopeful that ultimately we can get a serious budget agreement. In the meantime, I urge my colleagues to reject this omnibus bill.

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