Mike Rogers

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to congratulate Coach David Clark on his 1000th win as coach of the volleyball team of Jacksonville High School, in Jacksonville, Alabama. Clark attended Saks High School, graduating in 1986, and enrolled in Auburn University. While there, he studied architecture and received a degree in environmental design. After a short time living in Oregon, he returned to Alabama to pursue an education degree at Jacksonville State University. After graduation, he worked for one year at his former high school before becoming part of the Jacksonville High School coaching staff. In his 23 years of coaching, he has led the Jacksonville Golden Eagles volleyball team to three state championship wins with four state runner up positions, as well as eight county and 16 area championships. Coach Clark's 1000th win came Saturday, October 3rd during the Calhoun County volleyball tournament. He is only the 10th coach in the history of the Alabama High School Athletic Association to reach this milestone. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Coach David Clark on his achievement.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize the 125th anniversary of the founding of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, in Anniston, Alabama. The church was founded in March 1890 by four local reverends, when it was then known as the Galilee Baptist Church. During the first 10 years of the church's existence, the congregation held services under a tent in what is now a local park in Lincoln, Alabama. In 1900, the church moved into their first building. Sadly, this burned down in April of 1905. The congregation again met under a tent for services, doing so until 1910 when they built their own church, a wooden structure. With a significantly expanding membership, Reverend W.L. Maddox ordered the construction of a red brick building on the site in 1921, which still stands today. The church has had four pastors since then, and seen significant expansions, such as the construction of a family life center. The current pastor, Reverend Carlton L. Phillips, has served since 2010. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the congregation of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on their 125th Anniversary.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize John Jenkins on his 75th birthday on October 16th. Mr. Jenkins was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1940. In his childhood, he worked on his family's farm, and showed a strong worth ethic and a dedication to every job he held. He eventually began a career as an investment specialist, helping others achieve the American dream. However, not everything in John's life was perfect. He struggled with alcoholism, which later led to an addiction to crack cocaine. His addictions caused him to reach rock bottom, and he found himself living in a burned out building. A stranger told John about His Place, a Christian recovery home in Opelika, Alabama. While there, John overcame his addictions, and found religion. He resolved to make good on the change in his life by helping others, and over the past 15 years has served in numerous positions at His Place, most recently becoming an assistant director there. He also serves as a deacon and elder at Grace Falls Church, and is known and loved throughout his community. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the life and achievements of Mr. Jenkins and wishing him a happy 75th birthday.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Thank you. That is what I thought. Does the chairman recall who it was that testified that the amount requested for fiscal year 2016 for the national defense is ``at the ragged edge of manageable risk?''

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for your leadership in getting us here today. I would like to ask the chairman a question if I might. Does the legislation provide the President the exact amount of money he requested in his budget request?

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. That is what I thought. Thank you, Chairman. So, Mr. Speaker, we have an easy choice here today: we can vote for a conference report that sends a bill to the President that provides him authorized funding at exactly the level he requested, or we can send the Nation below the ``ragged edge of manageable risk'' in its security. It is a bill that provides over a $320 million increase for our Israeli allies on top of the $155 million in the President's request for missile defense cooperation. I would ask Members, especially those who supported the President's Iran deal, to recall it is exactly this funding that the administration said was vital to Israel's security because of that deal and its termination of multilateral sanctions on ballistic missile proliferation. This is a bill that provides $184 million to fund an American rocket to end our reliance on Russian-made rocket engines. This is a bill that provides the President's request of $358 million for Cooperative Threat Reduction activities. What does that mean? That is how we fight Ebola. Mr. Speaker, my fellow Members, there are some tough votes that we have to take around here from time to time. This is not one of them. Vladimir Putin is bombing U.S.-backed anti-Assad forces in Syria. If you want to make Putin happy, vote against this bill.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. And that individual is the President's senior military adviser, isn't he?

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize my friends, Jim and Lee Vanoy, on their 50th wedding anniversary. Jim and Lee met on a blind date in July of 1965 and less than six weeks later eloped and were married on August 26, 1965. Because of the Vietnam War draft rules, many couples were married on that date. Together Jim and Lee raised two boys, Van and Ben. They are the proud grandparents of four grandchildren, Courtney, Taylor, Blake, and Alex. The Vanoy family made their home in Opelika, Alabama, for the last 45 years. Jim is retired from the Uniroyal Tire plant and Lee, after serving many years as a church secretary, currently serves as the county voter registrar. They enjoy Bible studies, doing home repair for the elderly, and traveling. Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing this couple a very Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr., who is retiring July 31, 2015, after serving with distinction for more than 37 years, culminating his career as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Throughout his service as a senior military leader, Admiral Winnefeld has provided this body, and in particular the House Armed Services Committee, with invaluable testimony and candid military advice. Over the last four years, Admiral Winnefeld has served as the ninth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I think I speak for all of my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee when I say his vast experience, knowledge, outstanding leadership and professionalism combined with his deep respect and consideration for all of our service men and women will be greatly missed. During his tenure as Vice Chairman, he provided military advice to not only the legislative branch, but also to the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on a wide range of complex military and national security issues during an extremely challenging period in our country's history. In this challenging fiscal and security environment, Admiral Winnefeld helped lead our military through global events and threats to include the Department of Defense's rebalance to the Pacific, Iraq troop withdrawal, Afghanistan transition, the global threat of ISIL, instability in Syria and Russia's provocative actions in Eastern Europe. In addition, the Vice Chairman played key roles in advising our nation's leaders on and formulating plans for various counterterrorism efforts. As Vice Chairman, he led the development and implementation of the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review, an effort that involved thousands of senior leadership man-hours. Pivotal to his role as the Vice Chairman he also chaired the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (or JROC), where he worked tirelessly to transform the requirements processes to become more agile, transparent and inclusive. He focused its efforts on the immediate capability needs of the Combatant Commanders and the most pressing military issues of the Joint Warfighter. As co-chair of the Defense Acquisition Board, Admiral Winnefeld worked to link the requirements, resource and acquisition communities in developing programs to deliver appropriate capabilities to the Joint Warfighter at the right time and for the right price. Admiral Winnefeld's work as a co-chair of the nuclear weapons council ensured our military's nuclear enterprise and number one priority remained viable and relevant as a strategic deterrent to our nation's adversaries. Admiral Winnefeld graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology and received his commission from the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He subsequently served with three fighter squadrons flying the F-14 Tomcat and as an instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School. Admiral Winnefeld's unit commands at sea include Fighter Squadron 211, USS Cleveland (LPD 7) and USS Enterprise (CVN 65). He led ``Big E'' through her 18th deployment, which included combat operations in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom immediately after the terrorist acts of Sept. 11, 2001. As Commander, Carrier Strike Group TWO/Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, he led Task Forces 50, 152 and 58 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and maritime interception operations in the Arabian Gulf. He also served as Commander, United States SIXTH Fleet, Commander NATO Allied Joint Command Lisbon and Commander Striking and Support Forces NATO. His shore tours include service in the Joint Staff Operations Directorate (J-3), as Senior Aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and as Executive Assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. As a flag officer he served ashore as director, Warfare Programs and Transformational Concepts, United States Fleet Forces Command, as Director of Joint Innovation and Experimentation at United States Joint Forces Command and as the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5) on the Joint Staff. Prior to becoming the Vice Chairman, Admiral Winnefeld served as the Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). As the Commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM, Admiral Winnefeld led historic advances in the working relationship between USNORTHCOM, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Boarder Protection and the National Guard, specifically with the Dual-Status Commander concept. In addition, he led the U.S.-Mexican military-to-military relationship to a historic level of collaboration and brought very tangible results to our Nations' important struggle against the fast-growing transnational criminal organizations. Through his distinctive accomplishments, Admiral Winnefeld culminated a long and distinguished career in the service of our nation and his tenure leaves a lasting positive legacy to the Armed Forces. I appreciate his extraordinary reflected great credit upon himself, the United States Navy, and the Department of Defense. For nearly forty years Admiral Winnefeld has performed his duty professionally, honestly and with great dedication. Our nation will miss his leadership and expertise. Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing him and his family all the best as he moves to the next phase of his life.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to any nuclear deal with Iran. Iran has proven time and again it is a state that cannot be trusted. The current deal rewards its bad behavior while compromising our national and global security. As a result of this deal, Iran will receive billions of dollars in sanctions relief that will, undoubtedly, be used to wreak havoc on its region of the world. This economic boost will make it much more likely that Iran will actually try and carry out its often repeated threat to wipe Israel off the map. As a staunch supporter of Israel, I cannot support any deal that threatens its security. Just last weekend, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gave a speech that Iranians responded to with chants of ``death to America'' and ``death to Israel.'' How could anyone believe that Iran could be trusted to play by any agreed upon rules? I stand by Israel. I am completely opposed to this deal, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it as well.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize the retirement of Cheryl Cunningham from my staff. Cheryl was born on August 5th, 1945 in Akron, Ohio to parents Dorothy Newhouse Smith and Charles Coker Smith. She had an older brother named Charles Huntley Smith. Her family moved to Union Springs, Alabama when Cheryl was two years old and she grew up in this small town and farming community and graduated from Union Springs High School. Cheryl attended Troy State College and Huntingdon College following graduation from high school. Cheryl started her career working for the State of Alabama in the tax division. She married James C. Cunningham Jr., and had three children, James (Todd) Carter Cunningham III (deceased), Leigh-Ellen and Heather Farrish Cunningham. She is the proud grandmother of six grandchildren including: James C. Ellison (Casey), Charles Tyler Ellison, Earl W. Reed (Trey), Anne Carter Reed, Michael M. Hodges Jr. and Hunter James Hodges. Cheryl later worked at General Motors in Montgomery before buying their first farm and moving to Macon County, Alabama in 1972. Cheryl became involved in the community of Franklin and was part of the successful effort to incorporate the Town of Franklin in 1977. She served as the first town clerk under Mayor Robert Perry. Later, Cheryl was hired by Alice Hendon, Tax Assessor of Macon County and by her successor, Ed Corbitt, Revenue Commissioner to serve in their offices as well as serving as Executive Secretary to Macon County Commission Clerk, George Austin in Tuskegee, Alabama. Cheryl became very active in the Macon County Republican Club and served as County Chairman for several years. She also served as County Coordinator in Macon County for an unsuccessful run by Emory Folmar for Governor of Alabama. She was appointed by Governor Guy Hunt to serve as Chairman of the Macon County Board of Registrars and served many years under Gov. Hunt and Gov. Fob James. She also served as President of the State Board of Registrars for two terms. In 2000, Cheryl was hired as a Field Representative for Congressman Bob Riley working for him until he was elected Governor of Alabama in 2002. She continued to work for the Third District in my office and will retire on July 31st. Cheryl served as a member of the Alabama Federation of Republican Women and was later elected as District 3 Director. During her tenure, the first women's Republican club in District 3 was established, the Republican Women of East Alabama. The Cunningham family loves farming and caring for animals. At present, they have two dogs, three horses, two cats and a pet goat, Bentley. In the past, they have had bob cats, deer, skunks, raccoons, an opossum, flying squirrels and a 650 pound pig named Blossom. Cheryl attends First United Methodist Church in Auburn, Alabama, is a member of the Macon County Farmer's Federation, Alabama Forestry Association and serves on the Board of Directors for Sunset Point I Condominium Association at Lake Martin. Cheryl and her husband continue to give back in Macon County. One of their biggest joys is running the Todd Cunningham Christmas Memorial Fund in honor of their late son. Last year they served over 38 families in Macon County that would have not had gifts for their children at Christmas. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing a great lady and thanking her for her public service, philanthropic spirit and the great work she did for the Third District. Cheryl, we will miss you, but congratulations on your retirement.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 426 I missed the vote, but would have voted ``yea'' had I made it to the floor before was closed. Stated against:

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Dr. William L. Dean who will become Pastor Emeritus at First Baptist Church of Sylacauga in Sylacauga, Alabama. Dr. Dean served as the senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Sylacauga from October 1972 until December 1994--pastoring this church longer than any other minister. The event honoring Dr. Dean will take place at the First Baptist Church on Sunday, August 23, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing Dr. Dean and thanking him for his unwavering service and devotion to First Baptist Church Sylacauga.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize the retirement of James W. (Bill) Curtis from the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission. Mr. Curtis has served as the Executive Director of the Commission since November 1980. He has over 44 years of professional experience in the planning field and has worked for state, regional and local agencies. Previously, he was the Principal Planner with the Jefferson County Office of Planning and Community Development in Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Curtis also served as Planning Director for the South Central Alabama Development Commission in Montgomery, Alabama, and worked as a Planner for the states of Tennessee and South Carolina. Mr. Curtis holds a Master of City Planning degree from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia. He holds charter membership in the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners, and has served as the President of the Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association and President of the Alabama Association of Regional Councils. In 1995, Mr. Curtis was named ``Planner of the Year'' by the Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association, and in 2003, was named to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing Mr. Curtis and congratulating him on his retirement.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize the 100th anniversary of Center West Missionary Baptist Church in Delta, Alabama, located in Randolph County. The church was founded on July 11, 1915 under Rev. B.W. Matthews. The original church building was built in 1915 and burned in 1946. It was rebuilt that same year in the same location. In 1973, a new more modern building was constructed across the road where services are still held today. On July 11th, the congregation will gather to commemorate their 100th anniversary. Former pastors, leaders and members will join the present Center West family to reminisce about the past and prepare for the future in this rural community focused on God's word. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing this milestone for Center West Missionary Baptist Church and congratulate them all on their 100th anniversary.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Martha Ann Elizabeth ``Brown'' Ball on her 100th birthday on August 17th. Mrs. Ball was born in Cleburne County, Alabama on August 17, 1915 to Oscar Sr. and Mattie Brown. At an early age, she married Omildred (Mill) Ball (deceased) and they had 15 children together including: Willie Ester Ball (deceased), Omildred Ball Jr., Tommy Jay Ball (deceased), Josie Lee Ball (deceased), Lela Francis Blackburn, Shirley Ann McCreary, Exa Lee Bell, Walter Lewis Ball, Susie Ann Jones, Paul Wilford Ball, Cynthia Deloise Ball, Catharine Ball (deceased), Katherine Ball (deceased), Madeleyn Renay McClendon and Antonio Ball. Her favorite hobbies include: reading her Bible, quilting, playing dominoes, working crossword puzzles and attending the Senior Citizen Center. Mrs. Ball sang in the Gospel Truetts, a gospel singing group, for over 20 years. Currently she attends church at Sweet Home Baptist Church in the Silver Run community. She is loved by her pastor and church family. Most people that know her call her ``grandma'' or ``Aunt Martha'' and her children say Proverbs 31 best describes Mrs. Ball. Friends and family will celebrate her birthday mid-August. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the life of Mrs. Ball and wishing her a happy 100th birthday.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. I thank the gentleman for that explanation, and I hope he will let me know if there is anything the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces can do to make sure that the Department knows that the acquisition strategy needs to be delivered to the Congress without further delay. Can the gentleman also assure me that the deployment of the Aegis Ashore site in Poland remains a priority of his and that its deployment by not later than December of 2018 will not be affected by any of the marks in the bill before the House today?

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. I thank the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Chairman, first I would like to express my support for the fiscal year 2016 Defense Appropriations bill and my appreciation for the hard work of the chairman in drafting this very good bill, which will provide essential funding to our national security. However, I have a serious concern with the proposed reduction of funding in this bill for an existing weather collection satellite called the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, or DMSP. As early as 2017, our military is facing a critical capability gap in the Department of Defense's two highest priority weather requirements. As the Air Force continues to work through its plan for addressing weather requirements, launching DMSP will help address these issues. Much has been spent on DMSP already, and it would be a shame to waste those dollars when the satellite could be put to good use. Mr. Chairman, I agree with you that the Air Force has not properly managed the space weather program, and they must submit a better plan. However, I ask for your support in working with me in conference to ensure that our military and intelligence professionals have the tools they need to safely prosecute our missions.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey, the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, for his work to bring this important bill to the floor. Mr. Chair, this legislation includes billions of dollars to programs that are vital to the Nation's security and the men and women who have volunteered to serve our Nation. However, I do have a question regarding a recommended reduction of $61 million from the Missile Defense Agency request for the Redesigned Kill Vehicle. Does the gentleman share my belief that this is a critically important program, and that it, and the 2020 goal for deployment of this capability, are vital to a robust and reliable national missile defense system, which is paramount to the defense of the Nation against ever more capable adversary ballistic missiles?

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. I thank the gentleman. I look forward to supporting the bill today and urge the House to do the same to get this vital bill passed and to the President for his support of our men and women in uniform.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I strongly oppose this amendment because it strikes a section that helps us set priorities in defense spending. Dismantling U.S. nuclear weapons is not a priority. Getting nuclear modernization done is the priority. Two weeks ago, Secretary of State Kerry announced at the NPT review conference that the U.S. would accelerate its dismantlement of nuclear warheads by 20 percent. While Russia continues to make overt nuclear threats to the U.S. and our allies, we accelerate unilateral nuclear disarmament. This is insane. Let's be clear about one point in particular. Section 3121 of the underlying bill does not contradict any U.S. treaty obligations. Current arms control treaties do not require the U.S. to dismantle any nuclear warheads. In the FY16 budget request, NNSA detailed its plan to focus the next 5 years of dismantlement work on warheads retired prior to 2009. Section 3121 provides them enough money to do so, and it does not restrict this work on pre-2009 warheads. Section 3121 allows the administration to carry out the dismantlement plan it described in the FY16 budget request. It simply prevents the unilateral disarmament and acceleration proposed by Secretary Kerry, which is a misguided attempt to appease those who would disarm the United States. Section 3121 also prohibits dismantlement of certain U.S. nuclear cruise missile warheads for 5 years. This is a prudent measure because Russia is in plain violation of the INF Treaty through its flight testing and deployment of ground-launched, intermediate-range cruise missiles. Simply put, we should not unilaterally disarm the United States cruise missile warheads when Russia is building and deploying its own cruise missiles in direct violation of the INF Treaty. As Russia continues to make nuclear threats against the U.S. and our allies, accelerating the U.S. nuclear weapon dismantlement by 20 percent is exactly the wrong message to send. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining?

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop).