Hal Rogers

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Is the gentlelady aware that the President proposed to cut the Border Patrol in his budget submission to the Congress?

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

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Reclaiming my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Will the gentlelady yield?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I yield the gentlelady 2 additional minutes.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Madam Speaker, it's been now 47 days, almost 6 weeks, since our subcommittee marked up the fiscal 2011 appropriations bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security. Forty-seven days. Normally, after you mark up a bill in subcommittee, it immediately goes to the full committee, and then immediately to the floor of the House for us to act on the entire appropriations for the entire Department of Homeland Security. For some reason, the Democrat leadership in the House chose to delay the markup of the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security now 6 weeks. And instead, they're bringing up this piecemeal supplemental bill that would make a nice amendment to the appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security if we could get that bill to us. And this supplemental, if passed, has to go back to the Senate, who is gone for the summer, before it can become law, even if we pass it here. And number two, it won't take effect until next year. So, Madam Speaker, I'm asking, why are we here? Why did we come back for this? Because it can't take effect until next year and it can't take effect until the Senate comes back to pass on it. And they're gone until September. So why are we here? I don't know. I don't know. Forty- seven days that we have been waiting to bring up funding for the whole Department of Homeland Security. Homeland security, flippantly dealt with by the Democrat majority. Now, here's what this bill before us today won't do. This bill won't address the massive and inexplicable cuts the President proposed to cut the Coast Guard and to the Customs and Border Protection's aerial resources. The President submitted a budget to the subcommittee cutting Coast Guard, slashing the Border assets. The subcommittee in our markup corrected that, but we can't get that bill to come onto the floor. This bill won't do enough to improve our interdiction capabilities and stop the flow of drugs into northern Mexico and through the source and transit zones. This bill won't address any of the post-Christmas Day attack needs for aviation security or watchlisting. All of these were dealt with in the regular bill, if we could get it before the House. But this piecemeal approach doesn't work. And this bill surely won't address the numerous other homeland security challenges facing the country that range from emergency preparedness, to immigration enforcement, to cybersecurity. Simply put, this bill does nothing to make up for the fact that the fiscal 2011 Homeland Security bill is nowhere in sight. Why are we taking up this piecemeal approach? So it's all about, I guess, politics. It's all about politics. I ask the majority, where's the bill? Bring us the bill. We can amend it with this supplemental, make a modest change in the bill. Just bring us the bill. Madam Speaker, our country's facing many grave threats to our security. In the wake of the Christmas Day, Times Square, and Fort Hood attacks, and with a drug war waging along our border, it's a complete dereliction of duty by the Democrat majority to avoid moving the fiscal 2011 Homeland Security appropriations bill. So let's be absolutely clear about what we are doing here today. Yes, we are improving, we would improve the House Democrats' incomplete and deficit-increasing border security supplemental, but this bill won't take effect until next year. Why are we here? According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, not a single dime of this bill will be spent until fiscal 2011. If they had brought forth the Homeland Security appropriations bill for the whole Department, we could have avoided a supplemental altogether. We could have made the changes in that bill that this bill suggests, perhaps, and all would have been fine. Homeland security would have again reached the importance that it has in the past. Instead, now homeland security is sort of a secondary thought, apparently, by the majority, because they won't bring us the bill. So what that tells me is that we should be addressing all of our homeland security issues here today, not just putting a Band-Aid on some of our urgent border security needs with this supplemental. In fact, this supplemental, as I have said, might have made a very worthwhile amendment to the full security appropriations bill if the majority would bring it out and let it be discussed. But they control the rules, and they've said, no, we don't want to discuss the whole matter of homeland security. We want to address just these small pieces of it. So again we ask, where's the bill and why are we here? The fact of the matter is that the Democrat majority should be governing and Congress should be addressing our urgent security needs in the most responsible and disciplined way possible. Sadly, as demonstrated by the Democrat majority's repeated attempts to bend the rules and their lethargic pace and inaction on critical security issues like funding for our brave troops, that is certainly not the case this year. The bottom line is we desperately need to get our homeland security right. We need to address our security needs with real solutions, not partial fixes that circumvent regular order and that employ questionable offsets, as this bill does. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Wouldn't the gentlelady prefer that the Congress pass the whole bill for the Department of Homeland Security rather than this piecemeal approach?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. The point is that we are not getting the job done because we will not pass the regular bill.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of Commercial Bank in West Liberty, Kentucky. Founded in January 1910, Commercial Bank has grown to serve Morgan, Wolfe, Magoffin and Elliott Counties, many of which are located in the 5th congressional district of eastern Kentucky. The citizens of Morgan County have been served by Commercial Bank's one location in downtown West Liberty since the bank's founding 100 years ago. Like the other locally-owned banks across my district, Commercial Bank has a conservative lending approach that provides stability and security for the community. The bank is owned by 25 local investors in partnership with the employees of the institution. Commercial Bank is dedicated to the local community and supports numerous activities that make West Liberty and Morgan County such a special place. The bank and its employees have been longtime supporters of civic clubs, youth sports, the local school system, and the annual Morgan County Sorghum Festival. Commercial Bank is led today by Hank Allen who serves as president and chief executive officer. He is joined on the Board of Directors by a distinguished group of business and civic leaders which include Morris L. Peyton, Howard B. Elam, Jr., Bob Hutchison, Tommy Phipps, Earl May, Jr., Frank Oldfield, Kent Nickell, Robert Henderson, David Osborne, Joe S. Wells, Edward C. Keeton, Jr., William Holbrook, Jerry Murphy, Tommy Hill, Barrett Frederick, Tim Keller, William S. Wells, Robert Wells, Jimmy V. Hill, Proctor Blair, Henry L. Allen, Paul D. Kidd, Stanley Franklin, and Jeff Bailey. Madam Speaker, the people of West Liberty and Morgan County will gather in early August at West Liberty's Old Mill Park to celebrate Commercial Bank's 100th anniversary. I am proud to serve the people of Morgan County here in Congress and wish to extend congratulations to Commercial Bank on its 100 years of service to West Liberty.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Let me start, Mr. Speaker, by saying that I take a backseat to no one on border security. I have read the intelligence reports, the briefings. I have been on this subcommittee since it started in 2003, chaired it for its first years, now ranking member on the subcommittee. I have led and supported the robust funding for the Coast Guard, CBP, ICE, DOJ, all the other law enforcement agencies, even the local ones. I have implored, in fact, practically begged, the White House and the Democrat majority to recognize the spillover violence from this heinous drug war raging on the border with Mexico. I have even pushed for a new joint command along the southwest border for all of the American agencies. Finally, I have been first in line calling for a serious, sustained approach to breaking the backs of the cartels and enforcing our immigration laws. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, this bill is not a serious, sustained response. Rather, this is little more than a cynical knee-jerk, political ploy. I have three concerns with this bill: This suspension bill is not paid for. At a time of record deficit spending, why can't we at least attempt to find the prudent offsets necessary to address our Nation's border security needs, as $600 million of this money will be borrowed money. Is this so important that we will ask our children and our grandchildren to pay for it? Secondly, this bill circumvents regular order. These expenditures should be considered as part of the 2011 Homeland Security bill, the very same process that was derailed by the majority only yesterday when the Homeland bill was to be considered by the full committee. Ten minutes before we were to meet, they cancelled the meeting. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly and disappointing, this bill is woefully inadequate and the wrong mix of security, leaving gaping holes at the Judiciary, CBP, and the Coast Guard. If we are going to do this, let's do it right, as $500 million out of this bill's $700 million price tag, as I said before, is borrowed money. So, in many ways, in bill is addressing one urgent security issue and creating another. While border security is, indeed, a priority, our skyrocketing debt and continued deficit spending have the makings of a genuine national security crisis. We can no longer ignore our debt and continue to recklessly spend, call everything an emergency and simply hope it will go away. We have to make the tough, disciplined decisions at every level and on every issue. So these border security enhancements can and should be paid for by way of responsible offsets. More to the point, why can't we consider these obvious funding needs as part of the 2011 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill? That's where it belongs. The majority took 6 months to consider a true emergency, funding our troops at war, and sent that bill through a tangled, politicized labyrinth. The White House only woke up to this drug violence on the border in June with a haphazard request, which begs the question: Where is the administration's and Democrat majority's commitment to security? Instead, yesterday, the Democrat majority cancelled the full committee markup of the 2011 Homeland Security appropriations bill, where this belongs, just 10 minutes before it was scheduled to begin. And for what? So that we can turn to this suspension bill, borrow half a billion dollars, and then ignore all the other vital Homeland Security issues for the coming year. Addressing the critical needs facing our Nation's aviation security, immigration enforcement, disaster response, and cybersecurity are now left dead in the water with little hope of resurrection. Or was the last-minute cancellation of the markup for some other more political reason, like the fact that Arizona's new tough immigration enforcement law is in the midst of a contentious lawsuit? Mr. Speaker, the murderous drug war along our border with Mexico demands serious solutions, not reckless spending in the middle of the night after no preparation or no hearings, a flawed process, and, worst of all, political games. As it were, I was prepared to offer yesterday, at the full committee markup of our annual bill, I was prepared to offer a responsible, completely offset amendment that would have achieved this goal and would have included many of Chairman Obey's ideas. And the minority was prepared to take a strong stand in defense of the Arizona immigration enforcement law, a law that simply makes being illegally present in the United States against the law. Sadly, thanks to the dictatorial tactics of the Democrat majority, we don't get a chance to offer, let alone debate, these sound amendments. So, let's get our border security right. Let's provide the right mix of enforcement resources to combat the ruthless drug cartels, but let's do so through regular order in a fiscally responsible way. This bill, just like President Obama's flawed request, neglects our countersmuggling needs in the source and transit zones, fails to fully address aerial surveillance shortfalls, and ignores the judicial resources required to follow through on enforcement actions. If only the Democrat majority would be willing to take up the regular 2011 Homeland Security Department and Commerce and Justice Department appropriations bills, we could consider and debate the improvement of our border security in such a way that all of these issues could be addressed and paid for without passing along the bill to our kids and grandkids. Sadly, that's not the case here tonight. I have grave reservations about this bill, Mr. Speaker, as you may have noticed, and this process. While I wholeheartedly believe we can and must do more to shore up our porous border, I believe we can do it far better and be willing to pay for it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is correct. Years ago, when we requested and put in the bill funding for the border, some of it was so-called ``emergency spending,'' but that was at a time when we did not have a $1.4 trillion annual deficit. Times were different. We are in a monetary crisis in the country now. So that is the reason that I believe now is not the time to use what is called ``emergency money,'' which means borrowed money. It means not paying for it. This is not the time to do that. Mr. Speaker, the drug cartels have demonstrated that they will not relent so long as there is a viable way to smuggle their drugs and money--blood money--across our border. To take this threat lightly or to address it with only half-baked ideas which are brought up under suspension, at night and without any preparation, will only, I think, get us further into the morass. The last thing we want to do is to cause trouble for President Calderon as the drug war reaches its boiling point, because he has been so diligent in his efforts. We must not rush into something that does not have their, President Calderon's, complete understanding and agreement. So that means we must get our border security right through serious solutions, having thought through them carefully and having worked with our allies in the matter rather than through reckless spending and flawed political gimmicks like this bill is. It is not paid for. It is incomplete, and it is absolutely no substitute for the urgently needed fiscal 2011 Homeland Security appropriations bill. Now, as to this funding and as to the urgent need that it is said to represent, the Congressional Budget Office told me that none of this bill's funding will outlay in this fiscal year. According to the CBO, this money will not be used in this year. What that tells me is that this bill is really padding the fiscal 2011 regular bill process. Where is our fiscal 2011 bill? It is almost August. We're going on recess for 6 weeks, and there is no bill that this Congress has produced that the Democrat majority has put before us to fund the department a few days later. Where is the bill? We had it scheduled to be heard in the full committee yesterday. Ten minutes before we were to convene and mark up the fiscal 2011 bill, which could have included moneys like this in the regular process, they canceled the hearing. They pulled the rug out. We are not worried, they apparently said, about the Nation's security. Where is the bill? This is neither a substitute for the regular department bill that funds everything nor is it the substitute for one that funds the border war. Bypassing regular order and throwing more money at the border is not responsible leadership with regard to our Nation's security needs. Though, Mr. Speaker, it is not too late. The Democrat majority can still make up for all of the lost time and for all of the inaction this year, and it can move the DHS fiscal 2011 and CJS appropriations bills to properly address our border security and enforcement needs. That is what I would have proposed had we actually convened our markup yesterday, had we moved the fiscal bill through regular order, and had we had a genuine and thoughtful debate on our security priorities. Somehow, I don't think I'm going to get that chance. So I caution Members to consider this bill very carefully, and I urge the Democrat majority to move the regular appropriations bills through regular order with all due haste. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

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

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

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, while there should be no higher priority for Congress than to provide for our common defense, the Democrats have chosen to delay, abuse, and exploit this wartime funding bill--no committee markup, the circumvention of regular order, and the exploitation of our national security needs in order to bail out the special interests. Perhaps most disturbing is the inexplicable 6-month delay that has kept our brave troops waiting far too long. Madam Speaker, the sheer criticality of this war and disaster supplemental should transcend the inconvenience of election year politics. Sadly, that is not the case this year. This episode in political futility has brought us right back to where we should have been all along--funding our critical needs with a clean bill. Because of this calamitous process, we leave a glaring omission--failing to address the President's recently requested enhancements to border security and to fight the murderous drug war. While I intend to support this vital bill, I must emphatically state that abusing the process and failing to deliver on our country's emergency needs is a failure of leadership of the highest order. The American people deserve much better.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Lonnie Anderson, whose passion for youth in Southern and Eastern Kentucky has forever impacted the education and success of generations of families in Whitley County, Kentucky. Lonnie Anderson retired as the longest, consecutive-term superintendent to serve the Whitley County School District. Since 1991, Lonnie has been evaluating needs and developing solutions for the students, parents and staff members in the Whitley County School District. The programs he implemented were dedicated to much more than merely improving test scores. Lonnie established programs to improve reading not only for his students, but for their parents. He developed a jobs program geared specifically to students at risk of dropping out of school. He also opened a day care center for teen parents attending the middle and high schools. Lonnie understands that our students face much different challenges in our world today and has made a goal of supplying each one with the tools they need to be successful in life. The results of his efforts were highlighted when the Whitley County School District ranked as the highest performing, highest poverty school in Kentucky in 1997. Lonnie Anderson also teaches his students to be civically responsible by his own actions. Lonnie lends his wisdom across the region through his service on numerous boards and community organizations including the Operation UNITE Board of Directors and rallying students to participate in PRIDE environmental cleanups. Outside of education, Lonnie is also a savvy business owner. In fact, it is his entrepreneurial skills that turned around the Whitley County School District's general fund from bankruptcy at $300,000 in 1990 to $4.64 million in 1999, moving the entire district among the top performing school systems in the state. The phenomenal impact he has made on the school district and economy of Whitley County will resound for decades. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Lonnie Anderson for dedicating a lifetime of service to the youth and families of Eastern Kentucky.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. The Democrats' failure to lead is now putting a strain on the troops by refusing to pass a clean emergency supplemental war bill. Yesterday, the Pentagon announced that it's putting together an emergency plan in case Congress fails to do its job and does not pass the upcoming supplemental. If the Democrats continue to play political games with this bill, the Pentagon will not be able to make payroll for active duty troops at war. This is a disgrace. Funding our troops is a national priority. Our brave men and women in uniform do not deserve to suffer because the majority party cannot agree on the precise amount of pork they want to put into this wartime supplemental bill. We need to pass a clean supplemental, and we need to do it today. I'm tired of excuses, tired of the bickering. Let's put aside election day politics and do the right thing for the troops.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Carl Stanley ``Stan'' Begley of Grays Creek, Kentucky, who was an inspiration to thousands of young aspiring athletes, a tenacious business operator and supporter of the coal industry and a savvy political advisor in southeastern Kentucky. Even a devastating 6-year battle with cancer didn't stop Stan Begley from enjoying his life-long passions during his illness. The greatest thrill of his life was helping others succeed. As an avid sports fan and former local high school basketball star in Buckhorn, Kentucky, Stan's drive to live carried on through his involvement in little league sports. He was more than a little league coach. Stan provided shoes if necessary, transportation and friendship to youngsters who needed a true role model. As a young man, Stan got involved in the operations of his stepfather's trucking business and would later become the operator of Virgil Raleigh Coal. Stan also became a local political advisor, realizing the positive impact he could influence on a larger scale through leadership. Only months before he passed, Stan braved 90-degree heat to attend two coal rallies in an effort to protect the industry he loved. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Stan Begley for dedicating a lifetime of service to the youth and families of eastern Kentucky.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Paul E. Hall of Viper, Kentucky, whose tireless efforts and trusted partnerships have improved the basic infrastructure and quality of life for people living in the Kentucky River area of southeastern Kentucky. In 1993, Paul Hall began working at the Kentucky River Area Development District, KRADD. His exemplary Leadership and visionary skills were highly noted amongst peers and 3 years later, he was appointed executive director. Since then, Paul has been a vital voice for the leaders of the same rural, impoverished cities and counties, as well as our beloved Appalachian region. Paul has served on the Kentucky Appalachian Commission, served as chairman of the Kentucky Association of District Directors and as the Kentucky representative on the Development District Association of Appalachia. Before working with KRADD, Paul spent 24 years in the mining industry where his duties spanned every position ranging from equipment operator to vice president and general manager of Diamond Shamrock Coal Company, Falcon Coal Division. It was his experience in the coal industry that provided him the foresight and understanding to work on behalf of counties that depend on our rich natural resource. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Paul E. Hall for his dedication and service to the leaders and families of eastern Kentucky.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Rev. Mark Duane Hail, who has lived a dedicated life of service to his community, the ministry, and to our Nation. Reverend Hail is a man of many remarkable gifts and talents, and has been devoted to employing those gifts to benefit his fellow man. In June 2010, Reverend Hail retired from the ministry after 27 years. He was ordained a minister in the Southern Baptist Church in 1983 and has served as pastor of several churches in Pulaski County, Kentucky. Mark was also an ordained deacon, teaching Sunday School and serving on church committees. Reverend Hail was also a veteran of the Korean War-- serving in the United States Navy from 1955 through 1959. He was awarded the China Service Medal and Good Conduct Medal. He later served as the Chaplain of the American Legion Post 38 in Somerset. Before entering the ministry, he taught in the Somerset Independent City School system for 30 years. After retiring from teaching in 1988, he remained active in the schools and in the community, joining the Retired Teachers Association, where he served as president in 1989, as well as serving two terms on the Somerset Independent Schools Board of Education. In 1990, he was elected as vice chairman of the Board of the Somerset Independent School System. In addition to his career as an educator and minister, Mark was also a farmer in the Dabney community for 12 years, worked as a real estate agent with Gosser Real Estate for 20 years, and was a member of the board of directors of the Somerset Pulaski County Development Foundation. As an elected official in Somerset, Reverend Hail was very active in politics throughout his life. Mark was elected to three terms as the chairman of the Republican Party of Pulaski County. He served as county campaign chair for numerous Republican officials, including President George H.W. Bush, and Senators Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning. He was a member of the Republican Lincoln Club and served as a Republican precinct officer for over 20 years. He was a Kentucky Colonel and active in many civic organizations. These accomplishments only scratch the surface of Reverend Hail's accomplishments and contributions to his community. His work serves as a pattern for all of us who desire to serve our Nation. The Bible in First Timothy instructs us that ``the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor.'' Madam Speaker, Reverend Hail has proven he is worthy of at least that much and more.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank the chairman for yielding. I rise today to voice my opposition to the blatant exploitation of our brave troops and the brazen process being undertaken here tonight. With this ongoing charade, the Democrat majority has chosen to drag out the consideration of this supplemental appropriations bill now 5 months lagging. They've chosen to bypass a markup by the Appropriations Committee. They've chosen to dictate by the few rather than legislate by the representative many. And worst of all, they're holding hostage vital funding for our troops as a vehicle for more spending, more bailouts, more encroachment by the Federal Government into our private lives. A clean supplemental, Mr. Speaker, could have easily been disposed of through regular order months ago. Regrettably, the majority has waited until the very last minute, twisted the rules of the House, and put the Pentagon and our warfighters in dire straits. This abuse of Congress' national security responsibilities would be outrageous if it wasn't so sad. And for what? For what? Another bailout? more spending? political points? to curry special interest favors? The American people want a fiscally responsible government that first and foremost provides for the safety and security of this great Nation, and the American people expect the Congress to meet that solemn responsibility while mindful it is their money, not ours. Instead, let's just call this what it is. The Democrat majority has hijacked our national security for their perceived political security. This is not the governance the American people want nor deserve. We can do better. And so I plead with my colleagues to restore regular order and return to the business at hand, which is providing for our warfighters and responsibly wielding the power of the purse. I urge a defeat of all of these amendments and this bill.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Clifford Lee Childers, a family man who had a long and distinguished career in Pulaski County Kentucky In 1988, Mr. Childers operated the Somerset Financial Center and while there obtained his real estate and insurance licenses. Soon after, Mr. Childers was able to fulfill his lifetime dream of owning a small business when he opened Childers Financial Services. Performing residential and commercial appraisals in 14 counties he managed a very successful company that serves the Lake Cumberland area. Mr. Childers was a man of faith and served as a deacon for the East Somerset Baptist Church. Always putting God first he strived to be an example to those around him and spread God's Word through his actions. Mr. Childers also proudly served his country. Enlisting in the Kentucky National Guard in 1970, he served until October 1996 and achieved the rank of Colonel. Family was always Mr. Childers priority. He was married to Charlene Childers for 37 loving years and together they raised 3 children and were blessed with 5 grandchildren. Whether he was with his family at home in Somerset, Kentucky, or at their `home away from home' in Bluffton, South Carolina, Mr. Childers treasured every moment with his family. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in memory of Mr. Clifford Lee Childers, a man who tirelessly worked to make the world a better place. His love for life will be truly be missed.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late George Wooton of Hyden, Kentucky who was a lifetime public servant for his hometown, advocating for progress with every breath, even at the age of 94. In a television interview on the night before he passed on, George declared he wanted to be remembered as the number one farmer in Kentucky. While he received many state awards for the production of shell corn with irrigated water on his farm, the people of Leslie County and Eastern Kentucky will remember him for much more. George was a veteran of World War II, having served honorably in the United States Army. His legacy is even more firmly grounded in his public service and tireless efforts for progress in one of the most rural, distressed county's in our Nation. The people of Leslie County elected George Wooton as Sheriff for one term and County Judge Executive for three terms. George attended every event, large or small because he believed in supporting his community and their interests. In every crowd, there was no mistaking George's presence. He was the type of man who greeted everyone and gladly spoke up for anyone not bold enough to share their concerns. He will be remembered for his compassion, his tenacity and boisterous personality. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring George Wooton for dedicating a lifetime of service to the families of Eastern Kentucky, our Commonwealth and our great Nation.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Kentucky National Guardsman 2LT John L. McMahan who earned the rare honor of receiving the Kentucky Medal of Valor for his heroic actions on Janurary 27, 2010 in Perry County, Kentucky. Lieutenant McMahan was en route to a military drill on that January morning when he discovered an overturned vehicle in the bitter-cold winter stream of Lotts Creek in Perry County. In true first-responder style, his training kicked into high gear when he realized a woman was trapped inside the vehicle. McMahan dispatched a call for assistance and waded in the freezing water for more than 30 minutes, calming the woman trapped inside, until firefighters arrived to extricate her. When help arrived, he did not back away. McMahan joined the crew in carrying her out to safety. McMahan is no stranger to risking his own life for others. In addition to service for his country, he is also a Captain and 17-year veteran with the Kentucky State Police. McMahan is only the 47th Kentucky National Guardsman to receive the Kentucky Medal of Valor and it is an honor well deserved. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring John L. McMahan for his selfless public protection and service to the families of eastern Kentucky, our Commonwealth and our great Nation.