Hal Rogers

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Chairman, I rise strongly to oppose the amendment of my friend. The funds my colleague seeks to remove are administrative costs that the Department of Energy needs to conduct oversight of its existing loan portfolio. The recent loan guarantee to create the first new nuclear facilities in over 30 years at the Vogtle plant in Georgia will create thousands of jobs and will need oversight to ensure funds are spent properly. In April, the Department made available $8 billion of loan guarantees to accelerate advanced fossil energy technologies on the cusp of development. These loan guarantees, among others, need administrative support for decades to come. Without those administrative costs, the Department would not be able to monitor risk, manage projects, or provide the proper financial analysis that a loan guarantee needs. These activities are essential to ensure that taxpayer funds are protected in the existing loan portfolio. For these reasons, Madam Chairman, I cannot support our colleague's amendment, and I urge Members to vote ``no.'' Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to our distinguished colleague from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Chairwoman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. This is a balanced bill. It makes important investments in our Nation's nuclear defense capabilities, as well as the water infrastructure and energy resources that keep the economy moving. It does so in a fiscally sound manner, finding ways to save taxpayer dollars wherever possible. First and foremost, this legislation prioritizes national security by increasing funding for nuclear weapons programs above last year's level to support the safety and readiness of our nuclear stockpiles. Maintaining this Nation's nuclear deterrence posture remains critical to our safety, particularly during a time of global instability and increasing risks of future nuclear threats. Next, this bill includes investments in our water infrastructure that will also help grow our economy, facilitate trade and commerce, and ensure the well-being of the Nation. Recognizing the importance of what the Army Corps of Engineers does, we have rejected the administration's proposed cuts to these programs, providing nearly $1 billion more than requested and $25 million above last year's levels. That funding will allow the Corps to continue its important work performing flood mitigation, updating dam safety, and improving our waterways to facilitate increased import and export capability. Within the Department of Energy, the bill prioritizes funding for programs that encourage economic competitiveness and energy independence and that help promote an all-of-the-above solution to the Nation's energy needs. By making sound investments in coal, natural gas, and other fossil energy sources, we are moving our Nation closer to a balanced energy portfolio, as well as keeping down energy costs for hardworking Americans across the country. To make these important investments, the bill targets lower priority programs for cuts. For example, renewable energy programs with the Department of Energy are cut by $113 million from last year's levels. By implementing these types of savings and including stringent oversight requirements for the DOE, the Army Corps, and other Federal agencies, we have produced a bill that will support economic growth and security, while encouraging the government to act with greater efficiency. The legislation also puts the brakes on the administration's destructive and misguided regulatory agenda that threatens our Nation's small businesses and other industries. For example, within this bill, we have included a provision prohibiting the unnecessary expansion of Federal jurisdiction over our Nation's waterways. At one of the subcommittee's many hearings about the Federal budget just a few weeks ago, the Assistant Secretary for the Corps could not provide clear answers as to how much these regulations would cost the American taxpayer, how many man-hours it would take to implement, and how such a change would affect this struggling economy. Since the Corps plainly has no idea what it is doing with this rule, it would be irresponsible, if not disastrous, to allow such a change to move forward. The bill also stops the administration from changing the definition of ``fill material,'' an action that could drastically alter Federal regulations and could effectively shut down coal and other mining operations throughout the country. While this proposal is very troubling on many levels, I am most concerned about the unknown costs of this large-scale, invasive change. This is the type of overzealous, unneeded regulation that will harm, not help, the economy in this very sensitive time. Madam Chairwoman, before I close, I want to thank Chairman Simpson-- this is his maiden voyage as chair of this subcommittee--and Ranking Member Kaptur and all of the subcommittee and the staff for their hard work on the bill, and I want to commend Chairman Simpson for a job well done on his first bill as chairman of the Energy and Water Subcommittee. This is a good bill. It reflects smart budget decisions to invest tax dollars in effective, necessary programs that will help keep our Nation safe and our economy growing. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Before I finish, Mr. Chairman, I can't help but compliment the new chairman of this subcommittee. This is his maiden voyage after becoming chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. I think he has steered the ship properly so far, and we look forward to the complete work that he is doing. So congratulations to Chairman Frelinghuysen and to Ranking Member Visclosky. They have done a great job. It is a bipartisan bill, and I urge the Members to support it.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I urge our colleagues to support this Defense spending bill for 2015. This bipartisan legislation provides $491 billion in discretionary funding for our Nation's highest duty, and that is the security of country, the sustainment of our military operations, and the well-being of the brave men and women of our Armed Forces. The bill before you today, Mr. Chairman, will help meet the most pressing needs of our military as we address current and arising threats to the safety of our Nation in an ever-changing global landscape. It also takes into account the ongoing challenges of our current fiscal situation, finding ways to trim excess spending and reduce lower priority programs without negatively affecting our troops or the success of our military missions. Providing our military with the highest standard of readiness is a top priority in this bill. This includes procuring important equipment and resources, supporting troop training and flight time, and maintaining our bases and facilities. The bill marks investments in important defense technology R&D to help advance the safety and success of our military operations now and into the future. Investments like these will help to preserve our military's status as the most effective and capable in the world. The backbone of our military is, of course, the brave men and women who lay their lives on the line in defense of this Nation. With that in mind, the bill fully funds the authorized 1.8 percent pay raise for our military personnel instead of the 1 percent as requested by the President. Troop housing costs are also fully funded as authorized. This ensures that our more than 1.3 million Active Duty troops and 820,000 Guard and Reserve troops have the quality of life they deserve during their service. $31.6 billion is included for the Defense Health Program, to ensure a consistent and strong quality of care for our troops, their families, and retirees. Within this total, the bill includes increases above the President's request for cancer research, traumatic brain injury research, psychological health research, and suicide prevention outreach programs. The bill also provides an increase of $50 million above last year for sexual assault prevention and response programs, helping to address this growing challenge within our forces. Lastly, the bill provides $79.4 billion in overseas contingency operations funding to support our troops in Afghanistan. As we have yet to receive an official budget request that reflects the most current and anticipated status of our troops in the field, this OCO funding will undoubtedly require further evaluation, particularly with the developing situations in Iraq and the Middle East. By prioritizing these vital programs, closely scrutinizing the budget request and assessing the most current needs, the fiscal '15 Defense Appropriations bill ensures the best use of our limited Federal dollars. We made careful, targeted reductions wherever possible without adversely affecting the safety of our troops or the ongoing success of our military missions. Mr. Chairman, as of today, we have completed 10 appropriations bills of the 12 through subcommittee. Eight have gone through full committee, and we have begun or we have completed the consideration of six bills on the floor. So, when we finish this bill and the ag bill, we will be half through the 12 bills. That has not happened in many years. We are moving at a remarkable pace, and if our colleagues in the other body continue their good work as well, we stand a great chance of completing this important work on time. This is an even greater achievement because we have done so under regular order, with open rules that have allowed every Member to have his or her voice heard. Over the five bills we have considered on this floor so far, we have had more than 200 amendments, and I am sure we will add to that tally today. We have taken great care to weed out waste and excess and to terminate duplicative programs. In this year alone, we have found savings in every bill, and we have done all of this while abiding by the Ryan-Murray budget agreement.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this bill. This is the fifth of the twelve 2015 appropriations cycle bills. It provides $20.9 billion in discretionary funding for important agriculture, rural development, and FDA programs. With this legislation, we ensure America's farmers and ranchers--who contribute billions to our economy, as well as create jobs and put food on our tables--have the resources they need to continue to remain successful. We have provided responsible funding for programs that work to stop crop, plant, and animal disease that can cripple U.S. producers and entire industries. Funding is also directed to programs that help conserve and protect farmland, and improve water quality and food safety. In addition, this bill also provides funding for infrastructure development, housing loans and rental assistance, and economic opportunities for America's rural communities. These vital loans and programs help foster an environment for economic growth and will help rural America thrive. The committee also prioritized the safety of our Nation's food and drug supply, targeting increases to FDA food and drug safety activities. The funding in this bill will maintain 8,000 inspection personnel for meat, poultry, and egg products and facilities across the Nation. I am also pleased that we have included language that forces the FDA to develop more robust guidelines for abuse-deterrent opioid pill formulations. We withhold $20 million from the Commissioner's office until these long-overdue regulations are finalized, because the drugs on the market that are not abuse-deterrent result in opioid addictions, overdoses, and deaths. They need to be corrected. Prescription drug abuse is a scourge on this Nation, and FDA can and should be doing more to battle this epidemic. Beyond funding these critical USDA and FDA programs, the bill also includes funding for a variety of nutrition programs, making sure our most vulnerable, including our children and elderly, don't go hungry. The discretionary funding level in this bill is about the same as last year, which is a testament to the hard work of this subcommittee to find savings wherever possible to make that possible. Each and every program within this bill has been closely examined to help make the best decisions about where to direct tax dollars and where to trim funding. The bill also makes strides to make these programs more efficient, more effective, and more useful for the American people and strengthens congressional oversight, particularly where it comes to mandatory spending on important nutrition programs. For example, within SNAP, formerly called food stamps, we have required the enforcement of a ban on certain outreach with foreign governments and implemented protocols to help weed out waste, fraud, and abuse. Mr. Chairman, the bill before us today is a commonsense bill that makes every step to adequately fund important agricultural programs, to support our most vulnerable citizens, and to act with fiscal restraint. I want to thank Chairman Aderholt, Ranking Member Farr, the subcommittee members, and their staffs for all they did to achieve this very good bill. It was not easy because the allocation they had was not perfect, but they made do with it, and they made do well. I want to thank them for their hard work and congratulate them on a good bill. I urge unanimous support for the bill.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise, obviously, in great support of this bill. This is the fourth of the 12 appropriations bills that I hope to bring to the floor before August. It continues to move the ball down the field toward our goal of completing all of our appropriations work on time within the framework of the Ryan-Murray budget deal. The bill contains a fiscally responsible level of discretionary funding--$52 billion for the important Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, agencies that support critical transportation infrastructure, safety, and housing assistance programs. With this bill in particular, we had to make some smart but difficult decisions, as Mr. Pastor and Chairman Latham have said. Although the 302(b) allocation is $1.2 billion more than last year, when technical adjustments are taken into account, it is more than $1 billion below the current level. As Chairman Latham and Mr. Pastor have described, this is due to a considerable drop in Federal Housing Administration receipts that are used as offsets within this legislation. As a result, this bill, by necessity, strikes a fine balance between fiscal restraint and targeted investment in programs that will boost our economy, improve our quality of life, and provide housing options to those Americans most in need. One of our chief priorities in this bill is providing key infrastructure programs with the funding needed to keep our economy moving. The bill provides $40.26 billion from the highway trust fund for the Federal highway program for road investments, the same as the current level and contingent on the enactment of new transportation authorization legislation. It also includes funding to help communities build, maintain, and keep safe their mass transit systems. Smooth, efficient, and safe air travel is another priority in this bill. We ensured that we provided full funding for air traffic control personnel, including controllers and safety inspectors. We are investing in the future of air travel as well, helping to ease future congestion and reduce delays by fully funding NextGen. To protect every American who uses or lives near our roads, airways, pipelines, and waterways, we increased funding for important transportation safety programs. Within the Department of Housing and Urban Development, we ensured that all those who are currently served by critical housing programs continue to keep a roof over their heads. To do so, the bill increases funding for public and Indian housing by $6.2 million. We also fully fund the President's request for veterans' housing vouchers. Lastly, Community Development Block Grants have been held consistent with last year's funding level. As I said before, to balance out the important increases in the bill and to factor in the reductions in FHA receipts, cuts to lower-priority programs were necessary. For instance, the bill reduces Amtrak by $193 million below last year and places strict policy reforms on how tax dollars are spent on this service. We also reduced TIGER grants by $500 million below last year's level and mandated that these funds address our most critical transportation needs--road, highway, and bridge construction and improvement. None of these funds under this bill will go toward nonessential purposes, like streetscaping. Overall, Mr. Chairman, this is a good bill. It will address our most immediate infrastructure needs and provides our most vulnerable citizens with housing. Before I close my remarks, Mr. Chairman, I want to say a few words about the coauthors of this bill--Chairman Latham and the ranking member, Mr. Pastor. As you know, this will be their last T-HUD bill before they leave us at the end of the year for greener pastures. These two men have been great assets to our committee, for their expertise, their willingness to work together, and their great attitudes; and we are going to miss them greatly. Their swan song, this bill, is a fine achievement, a capstone on two accomplished careers. I want to thank them both for their hard work on this bill and others through the years and for their contributions to the Appropriations Committee and the House and the Nation. My friend Mr. Latham and I have labored together on this committee for a good while--18 years, Tom says--and we have been friends all along. We served together on the Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee for many, many years, among others, and I have learned to respect Chairman Latham. He is a great personal friend whom I treasure greatly. Mr. Pastor, the same way--we have worked together on this committee for a number of years as well. We have tried to serve the Nation and the Congress as best we could, and these two gentlemen have done great work on behalf of the American people. This is a tough bill. It is a good bill, but it is a tough bill. They had to squeeze some oversized feet into some undersized shoes, given the allocation that they had to work with, but they came through with flying colors. So I enthusiastically urge my colleagues in the House to vote for this bill because it is the best we can do, and it is a great bill, but also, I want to say in closing, as a tribute to these two fine public servants.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I think we all owe thanks to Frank Wolf and Mr. Fattah for all of the work that they have done today. This has been a long, hard slog. There has been dozens of amendments and almost endless debate, but they have stayed at the chore and they have guided us through this maze that we have been coming through--and, I think, done really well. So I want to thank both of them for the hard work they have done on this bill yesterday, last night, and today and tonight. In addition to what the minority leader has said about Frank Wolf, I want to say that he and I came here together in the same class. There are only three of us left out of 54 now; two after he leaves. Frank Wolf, as the leader has said, never fails in compassion and honesty and transparency. He is above board. What you see is what you get. They say that character is when you do the right thing when no one is watching. Certainly, that is true of Frank Wolf. He is a patriot. He served his State, his district, his Nation, and the people of the world, for that matter, in an exemplary way. I can think of no one in this body that I have served with in these years together who better exemplifies honesty, integrity, and devotion to his country and family as has Frank Wolf. So, Frank, we are going to miss you dearly. This is the last time that you will chair this bill on the House floor. You have been a great chairman of this subcommittee which I had the pleasure and honor of serving as chairman of for several years, and as a member of that subcommittee for many, many years. No one has done it better. Our hearts are open when it comes to our love of Frank Wolf. We wish him the very best in the next chapter of his life.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding the time. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of this bill. I want to congratulate and thank Chairman Wolf and Mr. Fattah, the ranking member, especially, and all the members of the subcommittee and staff for bringing us a bill that I think we can be proud of and support entirely. This is the third of the 12 appropriations bills that make up our work--and this is the third that we have brought to the floor this year. I think this bill, like the other two that passed, deserves our support. We are moving at a very fast clip in the committee. That should allow us to complete our appropriations work for the 2015 fiscal year on time. I promise that my committee will do everything it can to make that a reality. As Chairman Wolf has said, the bill provides $51.2 billion for the Department of Justice, the Department of Commerce, NASA, the National Science Foundation, and related agencies. This very thorough piece of legislation, which was approved by the committee on a bipartisan basis, makes clear our priorities of keeping our Nation safe and growing our economy. To achieve these goals, the committee has targeted precious tax dollars toward those programs with proven results and economic benefit. For example, they increase the funding for the Department of Justice by $383 million over last year. Within that total, the bill targets FBI funding toward counterterrorism programs and programs that fight cyber intrusion, gangs, and human trafficking. We also work to fight drug trafficking by providing the DEA with $2.4 billion. That includes $367 million to combat prescription drug abuse, which has quickly become our Nation's number one drug threat. Prescription drugs abuse is described by the Centers for Disease Control as a national epidemic. The funding in this bill will also help to protect communities across the country from the risks of devastating natural disasters. We rejected the President's proposed cuts to the National Weather Service and have made sure that adequate funding is provided for hurricane forecasting and tsunami warning grants. We have also made investments in the future of weather forecasting technology. In addition to the efforts in the bill to keep the Nation safe, we have also funded programs that will help our Nation prosper. Within the National Science Foundation and the Department of Commerce, the bill invests in programs that foster innovation and boost our economic competitiveness. This includes funding for programs that conduct research on manufacturing, cybersecurity, neuroscience, and STEM education, as well as $5 million in grant funding to encourage the repatriation of overseas jobs. But, as my committee will do with every bill we bring to the floor this year, we have ensured that this funding is responsible, is reasonable, and will make the most out of every single tax dollar spent. By scouring out waste and trimming unnecessary or lower-priority spending, we have produced a bill that comes in nearly $400 million below the current year. I would like to note that the committee did this in spite of the President's request, which had $800 million in false savings and offsets and underfunded a variety of critical programs. This bill rejects those gimmicks and makes sure that these programs have received funding levels that allow them to do their important work. To make sure this good work does not fall to the wayside, the committee included several oversight provisions that will ensure our tax dollars are being spent responsibly. In addition, the bill includes several provisions that will assure the life, liberty, and property of the American people, such as prohibiting the transfer or release of Guantanamo detainees into the U.S., protecting our Second Amendment rights, and preserving the sanctity of life. Madam Chairman, before I close, let me take a moment to again thank the chairman, Frank Wolf; Mr. Fattah; and members of the committee and staff for all their hard work on this bill. This is a tough bill to put together, and the allocation they had to work with was not the greatest in the world. But they have, I think, fit the needs of the country into this bill. I want to particularly draw attention to the chairman of this subcommittee and the author of this fine piece of legislation. Frank Wolf has served in this House the same number of days that I have. We came together in January 1981. Over that 34 years of service in this body, Chairman Frank Wolf has been a stalwart, passionate, compassionate legislator, and a dedicated, conscientious Member of Congress and appropriator. His expert work on this committee can be summed up in the legislation that we have before us today. I know that when he is gone, Frank Wolf's absence will be deeply felt by me, all of his colleagues, and I think by the country, because he has truly served America for all these years unselfishly and with hard work and with compassion. So, Chairman Wolf, for all you have done for this bill, the Appropriations Committee, the House of Representatives, your native Virginia and the United States of America, we thank you, and we will miss you. With that, Madam Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. My congressional district, Madam Chairman, encompasses rural parts of southern and eastern Kentucky. The region has historically lagged behind others in the Commonwealth and in the country. Particularly in recent years, as we have reeled from a crushing downturn in the coal industry that has cost my district some 8,000 good-paying mining jobs in just the last few months, we have had to think and act strategically to revitalize our economic engine. Creating jobs in a mountainous region without sufficient roadways or suitable water infrastructure might seem an unsurmountable challenge. But I have always encouraged my constituents and community leaders to ``plan their work, and work their plan.'' With the help of EDA, this is what we have been doing. The Economic Development Administration is one of the few entities in our Federal Government uniquely qualified to address the needs of communities with chronically high unemployment issues or facing enormous setbacks due to natural disasters. EDA's grants, awarded in a competitive fashion, leverage over $10 from the private sector for every Federal dollar invested and are targeted at facilities that are essential for private industry to remain or locate in these underachieving areas. As a result of these targeted investments in water systems, workforce training centers, intermodal facilities, or broadband networks, struggling communities across the country have seen the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in just the last decade. I wholeheartedly concur with the sponsor of the amendment that the role of the Federal Government is not to create jobs, but instead to create the conditions favorable for private sector job creation. By partnering with local area development districts, leveraging public and private dollars, and engaging the local workforce, EDA does just that. This bill provides $247.5 million for the agency, which is already below the President's request; rejects the administration's request to shift funds away from vital public works programs; and supports a loan guarantee program to develop innovative manufacturing technologies that will keep rural areas competitive nationally and globally. With unemployment in rural areas around the country still hovering well above the national average, particularly in coal country, the victims of the war on coal, this is an investment we cannot afford to lose. I urge a ``no'' vote on the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the 2015 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. I am very happy to be on the floor with this bill today, Mr. Chairman, because it kicks off the 2015 appropriations cycle at a very early date. In fact, we know that this is the earliest in the year that our committee has presented a bill to the floor, at least since 1974, the date of the present Budget Act, and perhaps even more so beyond that. We just don't have the records for it. Nevertheless, it is a very early date. It also does the important work of providing funding for our military, infrastructure and for the care of our veterans. This bill provides $71.5 billion in discretionary funding to meet those needs. Within that total, this bill provides $6.6 billion for military construction projects, family housing, medical units, education-training facilities. This will help make sure that the men and women of our Armed Forces have the quality of life that they deserve during their service and that they have the support that they need for our Nation's military missions. The bill also provides a total of $64.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. That goes a long way toward fulfilling our commitments to our veterans, making sure that, in exchange for their service and their sacrifice, we will take care of their health and well-being. Of that money, $45 billion goes toward VA medical services, including funding for mental health care, suicide prevention, rural health initiatives, homeless veteran treatment, and job training. The bill also ensures that our benefit programs and health systems operate smoothly and efficiently. This bill continues our committee's hard work to reduce the disability claims backlog, and demands that an interoperable Department of Defense-VA, the electronic health record system is up and running as soon as possible so that when a veteran goes to a VA hospital and the hospital medical people need access to Army records or DOD records when the soldier was injured, those records are available and compatible so that VA then can use those records to further the treatment of the soldier. By providing increased funding for claims processing, continuing performance benchmarks to reduce the backlog, and placing conditions on funding for modernization of the VA health record system, we are sending a very strong message, Mr. Chairman, to that agency that we want these problems fixed, and we want them fixed now. In total, the bill provides $1.8 billion less than last year, hard- and-fast proof that we can streamline this government and root out unnecessary spending without adversely affecting our troops and veterans. For example, less funding is provided to Military Construction accounts due to current price stability and a favorable bid climate, which saves taxpayer dollars but has no effect on quality of life or services for our troops. Mr. Chairman, this bill is a model of bipartisanship that represents the good we can do by way of the appropriations process. That is, in most part, thanks to the subcommittee lead by my good chairman, John Culberson, and his ranking member, Mr. Bishop. They worked on a collaborative basis to produce a bill that truly fulfills the needs of our military and our veterans. I want to take a moment too to thank the staff who all put in a great deal of hard work to get this bill before the House this early and at all. As you know, Mr. Chairman, this is the first of 12 appropriations bills that we must bring to the floor before the August recess. With an agreed- upon budget and early start, the cooperation of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle and ample floor time, I believe we can complete our work, our congressional duty, on time, on budget, and under regular order. I look forward to working with our colleagues to make this goal a reality. I couldn't be prouder to kick off our 2015 appropriations bill season with this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it fully.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, we have dozens of historic sites and landmarks that demonstrate our Nation's proud history to thousands of visitors every year. I am pleased that one of these sites is the Mill Springs Battlefield, which sits in my home county of Pulaski and my birth home county of Wayne, Kentucky. The bill we have before us would give the National Park Service 3 years to complete a study on including this historic battlefield into the National Park System. The Battle of Mill Springs is a source of great pride and interest to my constituents especially. In late 1861, Confederate forces had advanced into Kentucky on its southern border, and on January 19, 1862, they launched an attack on the Union Army camp that was stationed at Logan's Crossroads, later to be called Mill Springs. After a heavy night of marching, the Confederate troops attacked but were driven back, with their commander, Brigadier General Felix Zollicoffer, being killed in the fighting. In the confusion, the Union troops received reinforcements and were able to repel another Confederate attack, this time driving them back into Tennessee. Although this battle did not generate the number of casualties seen at such battles as Antietam or Gettysburg, it was a critically important battle and one of the first major Union victories in the Civil War. As a border State in the conflict between the North and South, Kentucky sat at a dangerous and strategically critical crossroads, with both sides vying for control of its territory. In fact, President Lincoln has been quoted as saying, ``I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky.'' Victory in the Battle of Mill Springs held off the Confederate advance into Kentucky and laid the groundwork for later Union successes at Fort Donelson, in now Nashville, Tennessee, in February 1862, and at Shiloh, in April, under General Ulysses S. Grant. Despite the importance of this battle, like many battlefields throughout the country, the site of the Battle of Mill Springs became threatened over the years by disrepair and development. In the early 1990s, the U.S. Department of the Interior classified the site of the Battle of Mill Springs as one of the most endangered battlefields in Kentucky. It might have slipped into the pages of history with no living monument to it had it not been for a group of concerned citizens in the community who came together in 1992 out of concern that the site would be lost forever. Today, thanks to the Mill Springs Battlefield Association, along with determination from State and local officials and the Civil War Trust and the National Parks Conservation Association, hundreds of acres of battlefield land have been diligently preserved. Through a partnership of public and private funds, the association has constructed a fantastic 10,000-square-foot Mill Springs Battlefield Visitor Center and Museum, established interpretive signage, and led driving and walking tours of the battle. Above all, they have created a vibrant tourist attraction which hosts thousands of visitors and students each year, preserving the memory of this historic battle for generations to come. Periodically, Madam Speaker, there is a reenactment of the Battle of Mill Springs with thousands of participants from all across the country. After years of work preserving this precious historic site, the Mill Springs Battlefield Association has expressed its desire to turn the site over to the National Park Service and the people of the United States so that the joy of learning and history will be enjoyed by many more people through the years. This bill, H.R. 298, will start this process by evaluating the feasibility of adopting this important site into the Park Service. I am proud to associate myself with this effort and to have this battlefield and generous group of citizens in my district. Madam Speaker, our Nation has been truly blessed. We have a remarkable array of natural beauty which people from all over this country and the world flock to see. Additionally, we have a great number of historical sites which have been dutifully and faithfully preserved so that new generations can appreciate what this country has been through and what their forefathers cared for. The Mill Springs Battlefield is a jewel of this group and will be an excellent addition to the National Park Service. I am proud of the work that they have done, and I look forward to many years of this site being an inspiring and educational attraction for our Nation. So I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I thank the gentleman for yielding the time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to again rise in support of this bill, H.R. 4152, a bill that I did introduce and that the House originally passed almost a month ago to provide loan guarantees for Ukraine. The bill has now come back to us from the Senate, as has been said, with additional authorizations for security and democracy assistance. It also sends, I think, a very clear message that the United States will not tolerate the Russian incursion into Ukraine, human rights abuses, or corruption by imposing sanctions, visa bans, and asset freezes. As we all know, Ukraine is facing an extraordinarily difficult economic situation. The International Monetary Fund has now said they will step in with a financing package, but the United States and our partners must also help during this time of need. By giving the administration the ability to provide loan guarantees from funds already appropriated, this bill will provide some stability for Ukraine throughout this tumultuous time. This is a critical bill at an important moment. The Congress must stand with the government of Ukraine. We must get this bill passed and to the President's desk as soon as possible. We have already waited too long while other issues, such as the IMF, got unnecessarily entangled with aid and sanctions proposals. Mr. Speaker, we must pass this bill today and I hope overwhelmingly. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

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

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, might I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, might I inquire of my colleague if she has further speakers?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).

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

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), the distinguished chairman of the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations.

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

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris), a distinguished member of our committee.