Scott Perry

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for her hard work on this bill and for her bipartisan spirit in getting it to the floor with me. I, once again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 366. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 347) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for requirements relating to documentation for major acquisition programs, and for other purposes.

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 347, the Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Documentation Integrity Act. This legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security to improve the management of its major purchases of systems to secure the border, better screen travelers, protect our shores, and other vital missions. Too often, the DHS has failed to document what these programs will cost, when they will be complete, and what they actually will deliver. It is unacceptable to spend billions of taxpayer dollars and not document this very basic but important information. H.R. 347 will help our committee and congressional watchdogs hold the Department accountable and ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent in both an efficient and effective manner. Safeguarding Americans' hard-earned tax dollars is why our constituents sent us here in the first place. I commend Ranking Member Watson Coleman for her leadership on this issue, and I ask all Members to join me in supporting this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately I was absent due to illness. However, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 24 and YEA on Roll Call No. 25.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. ``. . . the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each State having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two-thirds of the States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice.''

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I offer my sincere thanks and congratulations to Lobar, Inc. on its upcoming 50th Anniversary on January 19, 2017. Lobar, Inc. is one of Central Pennsylvania's largest construction services firms. Family owned, Lloyd and Barbara Eichelberger started Lobar, Inc. in 1967 and quickly built a reputation for reliability. Today, Lobar Inc. is a multi-million dollar business that offers construction services throughout Pennsylvania. Lobar Inc. has earned a reputation for excellence in customer relations and quality of work. Their mission statement sums up perfectly the reason for their success: ``To provide superior construction services for our customers at fair prices and at the same time, have our customers enjoy working with Lobar, Inc. Our goal is to have our customers want Lobar, Inc. to do their construction work.'' On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I thank and congratulate the employees of Lobar, Inc., both past and present, on their 50th Anniversary and wish them continued great success in the years to come.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I honor my constituent, Steven M. Ciborowski, on his retirement after more than 35 years of civilian service with the United States Army. Mr. Ciborowski served as an engineering technician with the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and was a crucial player in support of force protection activities for ECBC's Critical Lab Infrastructure. He served as the focal point for fire and safety coordination for various critical security inspections and greatly contributed to the success of those programs. Mr. Ciborowski's dedication and professionalism touched the lives of many people and helped the ECBC fulfill its mission to be the Nation's premier provider of innovative chemical and biological solutions. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I commend and congratulate Steven M. Ciborowski upon his retirement after more than 35 years of service to the United States of America.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I proudly honor my constituents, the Fairfield Area High School girls' soccer team, for earning the PIAA 1A championship. These young women have brought home the first State team sports title in Fairfield's history. The Green Knights defeated District 7 champion, Shady Side, in a 9-4 victory, at Hersheypark Stadium, on November 18, 2016. The Green Knights finished the season with a 25-1 record and scored 27 goals in four State playoff games, including two nine-goal performances. For a team from a small community, the Green Knights had an army of loyal supporters. I extend my congratulations to the team, to the head coach, Phomma Phanhthy, and the school officials, family, and friends who supported these young women on this incredible journey. We are all so very proud of you.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach James Franklin and his football team from my alma mater, Penn State, on winning the Big Ten Championship on Saturday over the Wisconsin Badgers. Many counted out the Nittany Lions in the second quarter after Wisconsin took a commanding 28-7 lead. As expected, Penn State turned things around quickly with their lethal passing attack and always formidable defense. Quarterback Trace McSorley set a Big Ten Championship game record with 384 passing yards and 4 touchdowns, as number 7 Penn State clinched one of the most impressive Big Ten titles of all time, with a 38-31 victory over number 6 Wisconsin. Pennsylvania and the Nittany nation are very proud of you. We are.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I offer my sincere thanks and congratulations to the Hanover Fire Department in Pennsylvania on its 200th Anniversary. The collective accomplishments of the staff and volunteers of the Hanover Fire Department truly are exceptional. Over the last 200 years, the Department's men and women helped to save countless lives and properties, and have made the Hanover area a safer and better place in which to live and work. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I thank and congratulate the Hanover Fire Department on its 200th Anniversary and wish them continued great success and service in the years to come.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I proudly honor my constituents, the Fairfield Area High School Girls' Soccer team, for earning the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 1A championship. These young women have brought home the first state team sports title in Fairfield's history. The Green Knights defeated District VII Champion, Shady Side, in a 9-4 victory at Hersheypark Stadium on November 18, 2016. The Green Knights finished the season with a 25-1 record and scored 27 goals in four state playoff games, including two nine-goal performances. For a team from a small community, the Green Knights had an army of loyal supporters. I extend my congratulations to head coach Phomma Phanhthy, and the school officials, family and friends who supported these young women on this incredible journey. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I commend and congratulate the Fairfield Area High School Girls' Soccer team on the hard work and dedication that led to their 2016 State Championship.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my friend from the great State of Oklahoma. I am privileged to have visited not only his State, but his district, and met the fabulous and wonderful people there, and they are lucky to have him representing them here. You talk about that statistic, and I am here to talk specifically about mental illness, but this opioid epidemic has touched every single community. You don't have to live in the city. You don't have to live in underprivileged areas. I know very good friends that it has wracked their families, and it has wracked our communities. Certainly, one of the great things about the 21st Century Cures Act is the help that is on the way. It is probably not going to be enough, but we need to do everything we can, at least in making these first steps in wrapping our minds and our hands around this problem and getting to a solution. So I am thankful that the gentleman has taken the time to hold this Special Order, to bring that, as well as the other issues, up, and I appreciate that. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk a little bit about the mental health situation in our country, and I think the gentleman has alluded to much of it in his conversation. Mr. Speaker, more than 11 million Americans suffer from severe schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, yet millions-- literally millions--are going without any treatment whatsoever. And families, these families are struggling to care for these people. You have a broken arm or some physical malady, you can see that and you can get to a cure in many, many cases. But these mental illnesses vex us, where your loved one is fine one moment and the next moment is not, and you don't know when that is going to happen or the gravity of the situation, how bad it might be at any given moment. These are our loved ones. These are our family members and our neighbors. The Federal Government's approach to mental health has been a chaotic patchwork of antiquated programs and ineffective policies spread across numerous bureaucratic agencies that simply don't get to the issue at hand, and I think we can all see that. Sadly, many patients end up in the criminal justice system or are on the street because services are unavailable. I know that in the State that I reside in, the great State of Pennsylvania, years back, we closed our State hospitals where much of the care was given to these people, and they just ended up out on the street or back with their families, which often are cases that their families just don't know what to do. They don't know how to handle it. They can't handle it. Then these folks end up in the penal system, which is no place for people that justifiably are sick. They have an issue. They are sick. They are not criminals, but they are sick. In the worst case scenarios, some individuals commit acts of violence. And every one of us has heard the stories and seen the film footage on the news of these acts of violence that can be directly attributable to mental illness. Now, we should be able to feel safe in our homes, all of us, in our communities, and our hearts just break every single time a senseless act of violence occurs and we see that. And certainly, for parents, these tragedies, they hit especially close to home. We need to remember that the beneficiaries of mental health treatment aren't only those directly treated for mental illness, but also our broader community when we see those things, those images on TV, because mental health treatment is a preventive measure to reducing acts of violence. It is a preventive measure. It actually stops those things from ever occurring if we get to it. Now, I was an enthusiastic supporter and cosponsor of my colleague Congressman Tim Murphy's Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act. He literally worked on it for years, and I watched him struggle through that. And that bill was actually included in the 21st Century Cures Act, which passed this very House last night. This legislation coordinates programs across different agencies, those disparate agencies that don't seem to work with one another, where information is siloed. It coordinates that, those programs, and promotes effective evidence-based programs, evidence-based so we can get to solutions. Just like most other things with the Federal Government, by removing Federal barriers to care, advancing early intervention programs, adding alternatives to institutionalization, and improving the transition from one level of care to another, we directly address our Nation's broken mental health care system, finally. Finally, a step in the right direction. So, once again, I applaud and thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for allowing me this time and bringing this issue to the floor; and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to send this bill directly to the President's desk, absolutely, as soon as possible. We can't wait for another tragedy to occur where we are all watching on television the footage of something that could have been prevented and avoided.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach Brooke Good and the Messiah College field hockey team of Pennsylvania's Fourth District on their NCAA Division III national championship. Messiah College played through freezing temperatures, wind, and snow against Tufts University in the NCAA Division III national championship on November 20, and they came away with a 1-0 decision in penalty strokes that will go down as one of the best games in Division III field hockey history. The Falcons are a great team with a great leader who inspired them to be their best--not only as athletes, but as women of character, determination, pride, and loyalty to each other and to their school. We are all incredibly proud of you.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I honor my constituent, Dennis R. Leber, on his pending retirement upon more than 17 years of combined service with the United States House of Representatives and the United States Air Force. Mr. Leber began his career as an Air Force telecommunications specialist, then spent several decades in the private sector communications and networking industry. Upon completion of his private sector career, Mr. Leber served two years as a contractor with the U.S. House of Representatives and House Information Resources (HIR) Group, where he completes his professional career this December, upon 11 years of service as a Senior Network Systems Engineer in this august institution. Mr. Leber's dedication and professionalism touched the lives of many people and challenged all with whom he served to be the best. His presence and dedication will be missed, but we wish him well and Godspeed in his future adventures. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I commend and congratulate Dennis R. Leber upon his retirement and thank him for his tireless service to the citizens of the United States of America.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I honor my constituent, Kathryn Lehman, upon her retirement after more than 36 years of service with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Kathryn began her career as a Clerk 1 in the Bureau of Central Files, Filing and Retrieval Division in 1980. Based on her performance, she received the first of several promotions that culminated in her last assignment with the Bureau of Enforcement Planning, Analysis and Discovery. Kathryn's dedication and professionalism touched the lives of many people and exemplified the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue's mission to fairly, efficiently and accurately administer the tax laws and other revenue programs of the Commonwealth. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I commend and congratulate Kathryn Lehman upon tireless service to the citizens of, and well-earned retirement from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I honor my constituent, Chief Master Sergeant James K. Foy, upon his retirement from more than 40 years of military service to the United States Air Force and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. Chief Master Sergeant Foy deployed multiple times in service of our Nation, including Operations Desert Shield, Desert Thunder, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He earned 30 federal awards, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with four devices, the Air Force Commendation Medal with four devices, a Joint Service Achievement Medal, and both Air Force and Army Achievement Medals. Chief Master Sergeant Foy's tireless dedication, professionalism and sacrifice touched the lives of countless people and challenged all with whom he served to be the best. His legacy of service to our Nation truly is admirable. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, with great pride I commend and congratulate Chief Master Sergeant James K. Foy upon his retirement after 40 years of selfless service to the United States of America.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I honor John L. Beisser, formerly of Lemoyne, a Pennsylvania Railroad Police Officer who died in the line of duty on October 20, 1916. On that day, Officer Beisser and fellow Railroad Police Officer Harry Chubb spotted two vagrants attempting to hop a freight train along the Pennsylvania Railroad. As Officer Beisser walked towards the men to ask where they were headed, one of the men fatally shot Officer Beisser and wounded Officer Chubb. The assailant was captured and later convicted for his crime. Prior to his service with the Pennsylvania Railroad Police, Officer Beisser was a veteran of the Spanish American War. His legacy of service to our community and Nation truly was admirable. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, we honor John L. Beisser for his selfless service on the 100th anniversary of his death in the line of duty.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his leadership, bringing this to our attention, and giving us the time to talk about it. Mr. Speaker, on what we are talking about, we have heard all the facts, so I don't want to belabor them. Numerous protective orders, subpoenas--literally, a preservation order from his own organization, his own agency--the IRS Commissioner just disregarded all that stuff and did exactly what he wanted to do in contravention to what any of us would do. Two standards of justice is what we are talking about, whether it was for Lois Lerner, whether it was for John Koskinen, or whether it was for Hillary Clinton, two standards of justice: one for them, one for the people who are connected; and one for all the rest of us, one for the people out there in the real world. I remember in my business, when we got a letter from the IRS, ``Oh, provide something from 4 years ago,'' we would go to our accountant and say, ``Well, we already turned this stuff in. We have submitted this stuff.'' ``Well, you have to save your records for 7 years, and you have got to submit that, or you are going to be in trouble.'' I mean, when you see something from the IRS, your heart stops. Do you think Lois Lerner's heart stopped? Do you think if the police were looking at you or investigating you that you would get to go to the judge without talking to the police and say, ``Hey, I will tell you what happened here, but we don't need to involve the police in that''? That is what happened here, folks. That is what happened, Mr. Speaker. Two standards of justice: one for all of us working people out there, and one for the connected. Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen, the facts are very clear. It is our duty, it is our requirement under the Constitution, to provide justice. And Mr. Koskinen will have his day in court, his due process. That is the impeachment process. That is where he can tell his story. He will have his day. But the people who have been aggrieved by the weaponization of this agency also must have their justice, and it has been denied to this point. Mr. Speaker, I call for the action that we are talking about.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I honor the 125th Anniversary of York Lodge No. 213, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Since its founding on July 10, 1891, the Lodge has made immeasurable contributions to the welfare of our community through countless civic and charitable endeavors. Whether providing college scholarships to local students, back-to- school programs for the children of homeless Veterans and students living in impoverished areas, drug awareness efforts and many other activities, Elks Lodge No. 213 has served/continues to serve the people of York and the surrounding region. York Lodge No. 213 steadfastly embodies its mission to inculcate the principles of charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I'm proud to have this organization in our District and congratulate its Members on the 125th Anniversary of the York Lodge No. 213, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I honor our constituent, Staff Sergeant Lisa M. Chavez, for more than 22 years of both active and reserve component service with the United States Army. Staff Sergeant Chavez served myriad duty assignments domestically and overseas. She earned numerous awards and recognitions for her duty, to include the Meritorious Service Medal. Staff Sergeant Chavez's tireless dedication, professionalism and sacrifice touched the lives of countless people and challenged all with whom she served to be the best. Her legacy of service to our Nation is commendable and set the standard. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, with great pride I commend, congratulate and thank Staff Sergeant Lisa M. Chavez for her 22 years of selfless service to the United States of America.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I honor my constituent, Major William M. Halke, on his retirement upon more than 40 years of military and civilian service with the United States Army. Major Halke was a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship recipient and attended the University of Maine. He completed his M.S. degree in Logistics Systems Management from the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering via the GI Bill. He served more than 9 years in active military service, deployed to South Korea and Fort Lewis, Washington. Major Halke now retires after many years of civilian service with the United States Army Test and Evaluation Command. Major Halke's tireless dedication, professionalism and sacrifice touched the lives of countless people and challenged all with whom he served to be the best. His legacy of service to our Nation is admirable and sets the standard for all to follow. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, with great pride I commend and congratulate Major William M. Halke upon his retirement after 40 years of selfless service to the United States of America.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I honor my constituent, Susie Wilson, on her retirement upon more than 10 years of service with the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED). During her tenure at PAMED, Ms. Wilson served as executive director to several specialty and county medical societies, including the Pennsylvania Society of Anesthesiologists. Ms. Wilson also has served with the American College of Veterinary Radiology, Pennsylvania Ambulatory Surgery Association, Pennsylvania Neurosurgical Society and other medical groups. Prior to her tenure at PAMED, Ms. Wilson served with the Pennsylvania State Foster Parent Association and assisted students with learning disorders and emotional disabilities. After her retirement from PAMED, she'll resume her work with children. Ms. Wilson's tireless dedication and professionalism touched the lives of countless people. She's left a true legacy of selfless service. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, with great pride I commend, congratulate and thank Susie Wilson upon her retirement after more than 10 years of service to Pennsylvania and her community.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, I certainly appreciate the chairman's efforts over these many years, and I support everything he has done. What vexes me is with everything that we have done and he has done, the EPA still has found a way to reach into the pockets of my consumers, the people that I represent and take 17 percent of their power bill. They didn't say: Well, you have to take it out of the food budget or, you know, your kids' Boy Scouts dues. They just said: We are taking it right off the top. That is what they said to the consumers I have to represent. Apparently, no matter how much we take from them or have taken from them so far, they haven't gotten the message yet. I appreciate your position, but in an effort to stand up for the citizens I represent as strongly as I can and to say we don't want a 17 percent hike in our power bills just because the EPA says so, I am going to ask that my colleagues support the amendment and heap a little more trouble on the EPA, as they are heaping the trouble on the constituents that I am privileged to represent. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?