Hal Rogers

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), the very distinguished and hardworking chairman of the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 776, I call up the bill (H.R. 83) to require the Secretary of the Interior to assemble a team of technical, policy, and financial experts to address the energy needs of the insular areas of the United States and the Freely Associated States through the development of energy action plans aimed at promoting access to affordable, reliable energy, including increasing use of indigenous clean-energy resources, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend and colleague upon his retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives. I have had the honor and pleasure of serving with Congressman Tom Latham on the House Appropriations Committee since 1997. Tom has served on a number of subcommittees, lending his expertise on energy, agriculture and homeland security policy over the years, and most recently serving as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. Not only is he an exceedingly capable legislator who has demonstrated, time and again, his commitment to fiscal responsibility, but it is immediately obvious to anyone who meets him that he is 100% committed to his constituents in Iowa. It is apparent that his Iowa values--hard work, community service, dedication to family--have colored his work here in the U.S. Congress. Tom is a thoughtful, natural born leader whose commitment to our country and his constituents comes through in every meeting, committee hearing and markup he attends. He isn't afraid to put his head down and do the difficult work demanded by this institution. The two of us have made some great memories throughout his two decades of service, and my time in Congress has been greatly enhanced with Tom as a partner and friend. While all of us in the House of Representatives will miss his intellect and friendship, I ask you to join me in wishing Tom, his wife Kathy, their children and grandchildren all the best in his retirement. Thank you, Tom, for your service.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I will not be lengthy, but I will be very serious. There are very few people that I have served with in this body these 34 years for me who has more respect and more friends than Doc Hastings. We are personal friends. We are professional friends. And when our wives are back home, we frequently have dinner together, and we talk a lot of politics, we talk about things going on at home, talk about things going on here in this body and the world. There is nobody more knowledgeable of politics in America than Doc Hastings. He knows every congressional district. He knows the politics of that district, and that makes for some great, great conversation. But I think the most important thing that I could say about Doc Hastings is his character, the character that he possesses. Someone once said that ``Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.'' I have seen, time and again, Doc faced with an opportunity, perhaps, that would have meant taking advantage of someone or not doing the right thing, and he always does the right thing. And so that character, that inner being that radiates out to the world, comes through that balding head and reaches out to the world. Most people don't realize that Doc Hastings is one of the biggest NASCAR fans in America. He travels to watch the cars. And of course, most of those started out in the South and still principally are. But Doc loves the NASCAR world, so that makes him a southerner, which is another reason I admire the man. Well, we are going to miss this man. He has served so well here in so many different important roles: chairman of the Ethics Committee that looks after the ethics of Members of Congress; of course, on the Rules Committee, the hardest working assignment I think anyone has, and his service there was superlative; and of course, the chair he now holds, that has turned out more bills, I dare say, than any other committee of the Congress. I mean, it seems like every day there is a string of Hastings bills that are being considered by the floor. He is a strong worker, a hard worker. He is conscientious in his work. He is approachable and friendly and likes to take advice. So we are going to miss this man, and we hope that the folks back in the home State appreciate just how well loved Doc Hastings is here in the U.S. Congress. So, Doc, we will miss you. We want you to come back from time to time, and I will even buy you dinner. God bless you.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Kentucky Communities Economic Opportunity Council (KCEOC)-- Community Action Partnership in celebration of the agency's 50th anniversary of service to the people of southeastern Kentucky. As one of the first 23 agencies established in 1964 to address poverty, KCEOC has raised the bar high, going above and beyond the call of duty to provide greater opportunities for those in need. Thanks to a group of local citizens who applied for a competitive grant opportunity five decades ago, this organization has flourished into the multi-million dollar service agency that it is today. KCEOC has inspired people across our region to put compassion for our neighbors into action. Through its programs and innovative responses to dire needs in our impoverished communities, more families today have access to child development programs, food resources, affordable housing, and assistance with financial needs than ever before. This agency has also been a critical partner for economic development, from recruiting jobs to providing the infrastructure for new businesses. The employees of KCEOC serve as great ambassadors for eastern Kentucky, proving that we have a strong, dedicated workforce and an intricate support community that believes in helping one another succeed. Through the vision of leaders like Paul Dole, this agency has turned community losses into gains. One of the greatest examples of those efforts was the transformation of the old asbestos-plagued Corbin Hospital into clean, state-of-the-art housing for senior citizens. Winston Churchill once said that a pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. That's what KCEOC works to convey every single day by providing a hand-up, rather than a hand out. They provide hope in an otherwise dark hour for many families and I can't thank this agency enough for its efforts day-in and day-out, letting our neighbors know that someone cares. KCEOC has forged important partnerships with local schools, employers and other community organizations to capitalize on the resources that are abundant in our communities. Together, we have made great strides in southeastern Kentucky, but we certainly wouldn't be where we are today without the foundation that KCEOC has carefully crafted for thousands of families in our region. In celebration of this 50th anniversary, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the work of the KCEOC Community Action Partnership in southeastern Kentucky.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, with great respect, admiration, and appreciation, I would like to recognize David Rogers, who will today receive the David Nyhan Prize for Political Journalism from the Shorenstein Center. I can think of no one more deserving of this award than the ``dean'' of the Capitol Hill press corps. David has covered Congress for more than 30 years; he earned his stripes, and his work has the deserved reputation as the ``gold standard for Congressional reporting.'' His dedication to fair, honest reporting is readily apparent in every word he writes; as a result, Members of Congress, staffers, and congressional reporters alike respect what David has to say, and are better for having read his work. After bravely serving our country during the Vietnam War as a combat infantry medic with the 1st Division in 1969, David's career as a journalist spanned some of the most important events in our Nation's history. He has covered school desegregation in Boston, broke the story on U.S. mining in Nicaraguan harbors, spent nearly two decades covering Congress and national politics in The Wall Street Journal, and now provides in depth coverage of the intersection of politics and policy at Politico. His work has been precise, wide-ranging, and important, a feat few in his profession have accomplished. His knowledge of the inner workings of Capitol Hill is unparalleled--in particular, his perceptive work covering the Appropriations process, where I have had the privilege of working with him closely. David began covering the House Appropriations Committee when few others did, and he is one of only a handful of people who possess a deep, institutional knowledge of the process. Through it all--hours-long markups, bicameral negotiations, and late-night floor debates--David's reporting has been smart, accurate, and makes a connection to the reader that conveys both the personal and the national importance of the issues he's covering. So David, we thank you for your service and your commitment to integrity in journalism and in everything you do. I applaud you on this esteemed award.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Julia Casey, who is retiring from my Congressional staff after more than two decades of distinguished service. Julia started her career in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1991 when she joined my staff, and ever since has faithfully and dutifully kept the trains running in both my Washington, DC office and more recently in the Appropriations Committee. Every meeting, speaking engagement, constituent fly-in, flight itinerary, office move, staff on-boarding, committee hearing, and committee mark-up that my congressional calendar has seen, Julia has managed with professionalism and grace. Like most of us, I have been fortunate in my tenure in Congress to have extraordinary professional and personal staff accompany me on this journey. However, Julia stands out as a trusted confidant, advisor, and most assuredly, friend. Exceedingly loyal, trustworthy, and organized, she has made my life simpler in an often complicated and demanding place. Her cheery demeanor, her thoughtful execution, her reliability and calmness under pressure--these are just some of the attributes that have made Julia a truly irreplaceable part of the Rogers team. Time and again, she has gone above the call of duty to help me, and by extension, the people of Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District in delivering a better, more responsive and open constituent experience. Julia has made an indelible mark on, not only the U.S. House of Representatives, but also on me, both personally and professionally, and I will be forever grateful to her and to her family. As we all know, congressional staff work long hours, and often sacrifice weekends and holidays in order to keep this esteemed institution running. This inevitably takes a toll on personal commitments. She has earned more than her share of quality time with her husband Greg and cherished son Gregory in her home state of Idaho, where she and Greg will retire soon. Congress, the House, the Appropriations Committee, Kentucky, my wife Cynthia, and I will surely miss Julia's contributions and leadership; but we thank her for her steadfast service and dedication. We wish Julia many wonderful years of retirement with her family and friends.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Ben Nicholson, who left the Appropriations Committee staff in October after more than 12 years of distinguished service. Ben started his career serving our Nation in 1992 when he joined the U.S. Coast Guard, serving for 10 years before joining the Appropriations Committee staff in 2002. Since that time, Ben has worked on various subcommittees, and for several chairmen, ultimately becoming the Clerk and Staff Director of the Homeland Security Subcommittee in 2011. As the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I have had the honor and pleasure of working closely with Ben. He is professional, he is reliable, he is dedicated, and he gets the job done, regardless of the circumstances. Ben is a born leader and a Patriot. He holds himself accountable to a code of the highest standards. He efficiently manages his staff, not by micromanaging but by setting an example and empowering them to make informed recommendations. He is affable, thoughtful, determined to make a difference, and calm under pressure. As we all know, congressional staff work long hours, and often sacrifice weekends and holidays in order to keep this esteemed institution running. This inevitably takes a toll on personal commitments, and nothing means more to Ben than his supportive and loving family. In his new employment, Ben will hopefully have more time to spend with his lovely wife, Anna, and their son, Tim. I have said before, and I will say again, the Appropriations Committee has the best staff on Capitol Hill. And Ben Nicholson is the epitome of that statement. Congress, the House, the Appropriations Committee, and I will surely miss Ben's contributions and leadership; but we thank him for his service and dedication and we wish him well now and in the future.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, this is a clean, straightforward continuing resolution that has bipartisan and bicameral support. It is our best, most clear path forward to keep the lights on in our Federal Government before the fiscal year ends. The American people rely on the Federal Government to provide certain vital programs and services, and they expect the Congress to come together to ensure these programs continue. Now, I would prefer to be standing here, presenting a bill that finalizes the hard work of this body to fund the entire government for the entire fiscal year. Unfortunately, the other body has refused to live up to their end of the equation. They have yet to pass or even consider a single appropriations bill through their Chamber. Because the Senate leaves us with no alternative, we must replace politics with responsibility and pass the CR before us. This motion to recommit only increases the possibility of a government shutdown, ignoring the tireless efforts of Members on both sides of the aisle to keep that from happening. The motion to recommit would also put our national security at stake. With the addition of the McKeon amendment, this bill now provides authority to train and equip Syrian rebels to help degrade and destroy the terrorist organization ISIL. Sadly, the minority is trying to hijack the process at the eleventh hour. They have reached deep into their grab bag of partisan agenda items in an attempt to attach, without fair consideration, sweeping policy changes that could place undue burdens on our economy, an effort that is designed to do nothing but score political points. Funding our government and defeating ISIL are of grave national importance, and they are too important to risk over political maneuvers like this motion. Mr. Speaker, I urge the Members to vote ``no'' on the motion and ``yes'' on final. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I want to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from Virginia, who made an excellent presentation. May I inquire of the time remaining?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I think, as has been said here numerous times by people on both sides of the aisle, we regret that we are having to bring a continuing resolution to the floor to continue the government over the end of the fiscal year. But that is because we attempted on the House side, on both sides of the aisle, to pass all 12 of these individual appropriations bills. And we were on our way to passing all of them until the Senate decided they weren't going to take any of them up, and they haven't. So it left us no choice but to ask for a continuing resolution to keep the government's lights on until December 11, by which time, hopefully, we will be able to cobble together an omnibus appropriations bill for all of the government for all of next year. So that is where we are. We really have no choice. I don't think either side wants to shut down the government. Certainly on this side, we do not. So the necessity is that we pass this bill. Now, the amendment coming up, on giving the President the authority to establish training bases and equip fighters in Syria, is all important, an amendment that I certainly support and welcome into the appropriations bill. So, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from New York (Mrs. Lowey) for her hard work on these bills all year long, and all of the staff and all of the members of the committee on both sides of the aisle. We are a committee that abhors continuing resolutions, yet we are faced with no choice but to try to pass one. So I urge my colleagues to support the continuing resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I thank and congratulate the chairman and Mr. Smith for their work on this issue. I rise in support of this amendment. It has become urgent, Mr. Speaker, that we make serious strides against ISIL, and we must act quickly to curb their influence and to fight back against terrorism of the most brutal sort. Chairman McKeon's amendment which provides the authority to train and equip Syrian rebels to fight ISIL is the right approach, and I support its inclusion on this continuing resolution. Over the past week, the House has done due diligence to ensure that this amendment language is appropriate, supporting limited yet adequate efforts to degrade and destroy ISIL. While providing our Commander in Chief with the tools he has requested for the near term, language is also included to prevent an open-ended blank check for these efforts. This will help ensure that Congress maintains funding authority and oversight over taxpayer dollars and the use of our military forces. Mr. Speaker, I want to associate myself with the remarks of Mr. Smith who just spoke who gave a very eloquent and full explanation of where we are, and I support his statement. I encourage my colleagues to support this critical amendment and then the underlying resolution today or tomorrow.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire of my colleague if she has further requests for time?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present H.J. Res. 124, a short-term continuing resolution to keep the doors of the Federal Government open after the end of the fiscal year on September 30. H.J. Res. 124 is a critical measure that ensures that hardworking Americans continue to have access to the government programs and the services they rely on and helps avoid the unnecessary uncertainty and economic harm caused by the threat of a government shutdown. The bill continues government operations at the current rate of $1.012 trillion into the next fiscal year and lasts until December 11, 2014. That level is in line with the Ryan-Murray budget agreement that this House approved last year. My committee sought to draft a responsible, restrained bill that does not include controversial riders and does not seek to change existing Federal policies; however, it does make several very limited adjustments to prevent catastrophic or irreversible damage to critical government programs to address pressing global crises that have surfaced in recent months or to ensure good government. These are changes I believe all of my colleagues can and should support. These include provisions, Mr. Speaker, that, one, increase funding at the Department of Veterans Affairs to help deal with the disability claims backlog and further investigations into wait-list allegations; two, to boost funding for Ebola research and response; three, to provide some funding flexibility within CBP and ICE to meet border security needs; and, four, to continue a surge in funding for State Department programs that help counter regional aggression against Ukraine and other former Soviet states. Each of these provisions is funded within the total discretionary funding level of $1.012 trillion. The CR will also extend authority for certain laws currently in place such as the Internet Tax Freedom Act for the duration of the CR and the Export-Import Bank through June 30 of next year. Later, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee will offer an amendment to this bill to address the President's request for the authority to train and equip Syrian rebels to fight ISIL. This critical amendment will address an issue of great importance to our national security, and attaching it to this continuing resolution will allow its enactment within a swift timeframe. It does not involve any new or additional funding for these activities. I hope that my colleagues in the House will support the adoption of that amendment. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, but we cannot address each and every aspect of Federal agency budgets within the scope of a continuing resolution like this one. These line-by-line budget decisions must be made in full-year regular appropriations legislation. I am very proud, Mr. Speaker, that the House made great strides toward completing this vital work, which is our constitutional duty, by approving 11 out of 12 appropriations bills in committee and seven of them on the floor of the House, all before the August recess, dealing with some 400 amendments to those seven bills on the House floor. The House made a good faith effort to complete all of these bills, but, unfortunately, the Senate has failed to approve a single appropriations bill which is why we are at this point today in trying to pass a continuing resolution. It is high time that the Senate leadership allows us to complete critical legislation to fund the entire Federal Government in an up-to- date, line-by-line way in regular order. This continuing resolution will allow us the time, hopefully, to do just that; however, as we move forward, we cannot and should not continue to fall back on stopgap funding bills like this one. These lurching short-term bills only postpone the tough budget decisions, heighten our Nation's mistrust of Congress, and cause uncertainty within our Federal agencies and the economy. At this point, though, the best way to avoid causing serious damage to the country is to pass this continuing resolution. It is our most clear path forward. It allows us the time we need to draft bicameral pieces of legislation that reflect our real and urgent budgetary requirements and utilize our Nation's taxpayer dollars in the most responsible, representative way. Before I close these remarks, Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the service and hard work of the staff of the committee on both sides of the aisle, but I especially want to acknowledge the service and hard work of the clerk of the Defense Subcommittee, Tom McLemore. Over his years on this committee he has been an integral member of the staff, no more so than his time as Defense clerk. Sadly, this will be his last bill before he moves on to greener pastures, and we will miss him a great deal. So I want to thank Tom for his service to this committee and to the Nation. With that said, Mr. Speaker, we have just under 2 weeks left until the end of the fiscal year on September 30, so I ask that the House pass H.J. Res. 124 today without delay. I also urge the Senate to pass this bill and submit it to the President for his signature as soon as possible. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 722, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 124) making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2015, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart), a member of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee on Appropriations, a very hardworking member.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 124.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Tom McLemore, the clerk of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, who will be leaving the Committee staff after more than 13 years of service. Tom joined the Appropriations Committee staff in 2001 and has worked on various subcommittees and for various chairmen since that time, ultimately becoming the clerk of the Defense Subcommittee in 2011. As the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I have had the honor and pleasure of working closely with Tom. He is professional, he is reliable, he is dedicated, and he gets every job done well, regardless of the circumstances. Tom is a leader. He efficiently manages his staff, not by micromanaging but by empowering them to make informed recommendations. He is affable, he is thoughtful, and he is calm under pressure. As we all know, congressional staff work countless hours and through countless holiday seasons in order to keep this esteemed institution running. This inevitably takes a toll on personal commitments, and nothing means more to Tom than his supportive and loving family. In his new employment, Tom will hopefully have more time to spend with his lovely wife, Cory, and their two girls, Anna and Maggie. I have said before, and I will say again, the Appropriations Committee has the best staff on Capitol Hill. And Tom McLemore is the epitome of that statement. Congress, and I, will surely miss this leader; but we thank him for his service and dedication and wish him well now and in the future.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chair, I rise today in favor of H.R. 5078, the Waters of the U.S. Regulatory Overreach Protection Act. Over the last five years, we have seen attempt after attempt to add layers of environmental red tape to any economic development that our states, counties, and cities may undertake. The new ``Waters of the United States'' proposal is no different. With this, the EPA seeks to gain jurisdiction over most of the country by claiming authority to regulate dry beds, ditches, pipes, farmland ponds and anywhere water could conceivably run. They would require local communities, businesses and individuals to navigate the costly and time-consuming process of obtaining additional permits for activities around these waters, making it harder to mine coal, to construct roads and shopping centers, and even to build homes. This is one of the largest federal power grabs we have ever witnessed in this country, and there is no question that the economic impact would be profound. In my home state of Kentucky, mining permits have ground to a halt and onerous regulations are shuttering power plants, threatening the fossil energy industries that have been the backbone of our energy security for decades. I am dismayed at efforts that this Administration has undertaken with the express purpose of eliminating coal from our nation's energy supply, despite the fact that this fuel provides a cheap, abundant source of energy that keeps energy costs down and productivity up. With this bill, we stand firm against the latest attempt by the EPA to put up road blocks for those working to create jobs. These efforts are fruitless attempts to legislate through regulation, and the Congress must exercise its prerogative to prevent this kind of bureaucratic overreach that would be crippling for the U.S. economy. H.R. 5078 will uphold the federal-state partnership to regulate the Nation's waters, allowing states to continue regulating certain waters within their individual boundaries, and providing farmers, construction companies, energy suppliers, and manufacturers with much needed certainty as they work to create jobs and grow the economy. I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 5078.