Scott Rigell

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, personal circumstances kept me from voting on the following votes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 592--21st Century Cures. ``Yea'' on rollcall No. 593-- Intel Reauthorization.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to include in the Record the following on behalf of my constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman. Rabbi Zoberman is the Founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is a commissioner on the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission and a past national Interfaith Chair for the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). Rabbi Zoberman asked me to include the following in the Record: We have gratefully gathered on the auspicious occasion of our 7th annual Veterans Day service, at our uplifting communal home of the Reba and Sam Sandler Campus and the Simon Family JCC of our beloved Hampton Roads community. Let us proudly recall our heroes--past, present, and future--and their singular selfless and sacrificial devotion to our great American nation, as well as its undying legacy of democratic values and ideals, which remain a shining beacon of light to the entire free world for those in particular still living in the darkness of oppression. We underwent a bruising vitriolic presidential election uncovering deep wounds and conflicting divisions within the American people on critical core issues. In the American way, we look forward to another peaceful, orderly, and gracious transition of power through ballots, not bullets, unlike some other countries. We will continue to abide by the high principles that have guided and preserved us as the world's leading democracy. Even as we pray for togetherness through the essential gift of unity, we are mindful that unity does not imply unanimity. We understand that our amazing diversity of people and ideas is the empowering source of our enviable strength as a superpower, and ultimately democracy depends on a vigorous debate, though with civility, of differing and even opposing views, including noxious ones, by all sides. After all, the dynamics of periodic change are inherent in the governmental system we have called democracy, one that our founders wisely chose and devised for us to follow and participate in at the birth of the audacious experiment we call America. Humbling is the democratic proposition that constitutional power may change hands without abandoning the underlying tenets that have lit our path, allowing us to live in freedom and flourish like no other nation. The British system insightfully speaks of the ``loyal opposition.'' The recent contentious election points at ``two Americas,'' or even more, and our goal is to build connecting bridges toward ``a more perfect union.'' Both winners and losers (alternating in a democracy) belong to the one big tent of our American family. There is plenty of space for everyone in the inviting spirit of dialogue. All are needed in order to fully fulfill America's promise and mandate. Our military heroes, including our Jewish American ones, are the essential and appreciated shared golden treasure, gloriously gluing together the disparate parts of our politic tapestry while protecting its very existence. Only yesterday we observed the 78th anniversary of Kristallnacht (the Night of the Broken Glass throughout Germany on November 9-10, 1938), the beginning of the end of European Jewry, orchestrated in the heart of so-called civilized Europe with disastrous consequences for humanity. The presence of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in our nation's capital is a poignant statement that democracies are vulnerable. Democracies require eternal vigilance and engagement of the caring, concerned, courageous, and compassionate citizenry, lest it becomes perverted from within due to extreme conditions and corrosive demagoguery with evil intent. The Jewish people can sadly attest that words do matter and bear fateful consequence. Human dignity and God's divinity go hand in hand. These are unsettling and dangerous times. Children and adults are being bombed and starved with impunity in Aleppo, Syria. Millions of homeless refugees are again on the run. The Islamic State assaults civilization in Iraq and elsewhere. The Iranian government has acted belligerently, and Russia has emboldened aggression. I am painfully reminded of belonging to the surviving remnant (Sherit Ha'Pleta) of European Jewry, a time in which early childhood was spent in the Displaced Persons Camps of Austria and Germany, surrounded by barbed wire for protection, and whose father fought in the 118th Red Army infantry division outside Leningrad and Moscow. Having been privileged to live in our unique Hampton Roads for over 30 years, the most powerful hub of military in the world, whose mission is defending freedom's sacred cause, I am sharply cognizant of how powerless European Jews were during World War II and the Holocaust, and the difference the United States and the State of Israel make. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, the American holiday par excellence, which is rooted in the Pilgrims' attachment to the Hebrew Scriptures and the Israelites' journey from bondage to freedom, we reflect on our nation's humble beginnings of fleeing refugees. We are duty-bound to give thanks for our measureless blessings, pledging to share them with the less fortunate in hopes that America will continue to be blessed. May we ever turn pain into promise, hatred into love, violence into vision, adversity into advantage, and trial into triumph with Shalom's holy peace of healing, hope, and harmony for all of God's children. Amen.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I found in my public service that one of the great privileges of serving are the opportunities it has afforded to me to meet with so many amazing Americans and Virginians from all walks of life. Many of these occasions have been moments of great joy: greeting servicemembers when they have returned home from serving abroad, graduation ceremonies. There have also been moments of profound sadness and serious moments where not only me, but I am sure my colleagues here, have had the opportunity--and the difficult one--to actually meet with those who have lost a servicemember in service to our country or those whose families have really been hit so hard with a debilitating, indeed, fatal disease. One of those fatal diseases that I come to the floor this morning to speak about is Alzheimer's. I believe probably every Member of this House has been affected by it in some way; both sides. It certainly affected my own family. Alzheimer's damages and eventually destroys brain cells. It leads to memory loss and other challenges in brain function. It usually develops slowly and gradually gets worse. Ultimately, Alzheimer's is fatal. Every 66 seconds, Mr. Speaker, a fellow American is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. But let's be clear: we are not talking about statistics here. We are talking about people. To my left is the Garner family. I have learned so much from the Garner family about Alzheimer's. If you ever wonder if engaging your local Representative makes a difference; indeed, it does. This family is an example of that. This is Jim; his wife, Karen; and their two beautiful children. I got to know Jim when he was diagnosed in the early stages of Alzheimer's. He was an officer in the United States Air Force at Langley. He served with distinction. Alzheimer's cut that short. This is Frankie. Their daughter, Frankie, is amazing. She is one of the strongest advocates I know for a cause that she believes in. I have learned a lot from her and her entire family. Jim passed away this past April, just days before his 54th birthday. Karen kept a blog about her experiences, and with her permission, I want to read from that blog. This is Karen speaking: I want people to see what Alzheimer's disease does to a wonderful human being. I want to break the misconception that Alzheimer's disease is just old people forgetting someone's name or getting lost. I want to erase the stereotypical patient idea. I want the stigma that follows a diagnosis to be a thing of the past. Well, we have got a long way to go before that is a complete reality across our Nation, but she and the family have helped me understand this. I am grateful to them and to the Alzheimer's Association for helping me further grasp at a deeper level just how this disease is harming our country. Now, if we look at it, here are some of the statistics that we have got to keep in mind. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Of the 10 top killers of Americans, Alzheimer's is the only disease that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed. The rate of diagnosis is increasing. Right now, we have about 5 million Americans that are suffering from this disease, including 135,000 Virginians. If we fail to act, Mr. Speaker, the number of Americans living with Alzheimer's could soar to as many as 16 million by 2020. I am a fiscal conservative. I am acutely aware of our fiscal trajectory. Yet, as I look at the cost of Alzheimer's--and it is far more than a cost--if we look at what is happening here statistically, here is where our expenses are going, Mr. Speaker. I, as a fiscal conservative, come to the House floor today to say that we need to be investing more in Alzheimer's research. We worked in, I think, an admirable and bipartisan way to increase funding to over $660 million a year. Mr. Speaker, I call for $2 billion. It is money well invested. Some things that we invest in are true expenses. Other things are true investments. This is one of them. We should fund every program and medical research opportunity that shows promise. And, indeed, there are great opportunities for promise here. We can investigate brain imaging, biomarkers, and clinical tools that may result in earlier and more accurate diagnoses, timely interventions, and effective disease monitoring. If we had advanced this, we could have done a better job for Jim and his family's lives. We ought to really set for our country something like the great moon shot that my father was so an integral part of. Mr. Speaker, I am convinced that we can do this. We can find a cure. We can do right by the next generation. Keep in mind that it is not about statistics, but it is about people.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to submit a statement on behalf of my constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman. Rabbi Zoberman is the Founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Rabbi Zoberman asked me to submit the following remarks: As we celebrate the 68th Anniversary of the State of Israel, heir to the Jewish people's long and proud legacy of the spirit uplifting humanity, it remains an enlightened Western island of progressive values retaining its democratic essence in a wide sea of barbarism and backwardness begrudging the survival of the world's only Jewish state. In fact, no other democratic nation-state's very existence is questioned except Israel's. This is in spite of its enduring roots in its historic land, and world renowned accomplishments in the arts, sciences, and high- tech industries. It proved an unrivaled ability to rise from two millennia of exile, oppression, and an unparalleled Holocaust consuming a third of the Jewish people. Israel's renewed emergence against great odds is an affirmation of the transforming power of hope, and the rightful restoration of the Jewish people's human dignity and standing in the community of nations. It is the divine fulfillment of prophetic promise, with the challenging mandate and expectation to create a model society. Today's troubled Middle East, home of humanity's inspiring Biblical Exodus, is in dire need of replacing degradation with dignity, and unremitting terrorism with humane teachings. We remain mindful of the unabated genocidal Syrian tragedy of President Bashar Al-Assad's making with critical Iranian and Russian support. The recurrence of brutal Palestinian terrorism which constantly claims Israeli lives is cruelly rewarded by the Palestinian Authority's leadership. On numerous occasions, terrorists are honored as martyrs while they totally disregard human life. One of the many victims, 29 year old Taylor Force from Lubbock, Texas, a non-Jewish graduate student from Vanderbilt University, was knifed to death in Jaffa, close to where visiting Vice President and Mrs. Joseph Biden were dining at the time. Force, a graduate of West Point, served combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. When confronted with a tragic Jewish terrorist attack on the Palestinian Dawabsheh family, which claimed three lives, there was rightly shocked condemnation from all echelons of Israeli society. Will President Mahmoud Abbas fmally reach out to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for direct negotiations for a two- state solution to the festering conflict in a raging region, with a demilitarized Palestinian State and a recognition of its neighboring Jewish State? For the sake of all, let not the Palestinians miss this opportunity too. This past November 4, 2015, we observed the 20th Anniversary of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's watershed assassination. With its profound lessons, I reflected by reading this verse: ``Rest in peace, Guarded by the stones You liberated thrice- Twice in war And once in hope. Jerusalem is thy faithful Wall that won't breach, Friend of Shalom.'' Last February I attended the 127th Annual Convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (Reform), which meets in Israel every seven years, to attest to their abiding bond with the State of Israel. I joyfully participated in an egalitarian worship service at the Southern extension of the Western Wall which has been allotted for non-Orthodox Jewish practice. This compromised arrangement was government sanctioned, while hurdles unfortunately persist. Significant progress toward pluralistic religious Jewish expression has been made due to Israel's Supreme Court intervention. Much is at stake, acknowledging the courageous and tenacious struggle for acceptance by the Women of the Wall. There is, however, a fringe but dangerous Jewish group calling to replace Israel's democracy with a ``Judean Monarchy.'' It is a wonder that Israel, saddled with existential concerns that few other countries deal with, remains a shining exemplar of light and perseverance. The recent rescue, of 17 Jews, with American aid, including Rabbi Suleiman Bin Yaqoub, from war-torn Yemen, one of Jewry's most ancient communities, tells of the difference Israel makes. Surely its vital bond of shared values and common interests with the USA is an essential one for both democracies. I am particularly alarmed by Iran and its proxies, the deadly global reach of ISIS, the destructive Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, European anti-Semitism, and the United Nations' double standard against Israel. The poignant words of the late Prime Minister Golda Meir are revealing, ``We owe a responsibility not only to those who are in Israel but also to those generations that are no more, to those millions that have died within our lifetime, to Jews all over the world and generations of Jews to come. We hate war. We don't rejoice in victories. We rejoice when a new kind of cotton is grown and when strawberries bloom in Israel.'' I speak as a refugee born in Chu, Kazakhstan (USSR) in November 1945, to Polish Holocaust survivors. There I spent my early childhood in Displaced Persons Camps in Austria and Germany before moving to Israel in 1949. The current suffering of millions of refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere should move us all to caring action with caution, but not allowing for moral paralysis. Innocent sufferers are closest to God's aching heart. I am connecting my own family and people's anguish with that of the Syrians' plight: ``My mother, a Holocaust survivor, Was young like you Scared Syrian sister, When she too got scarred By the pain of stinging tears, The beauty marks of refugees. May you also find peace At this confounding time, In a world abandoning you Too lonely child.'' We remember the million and a half Jewish children who were murdered in the Holocaust only because they were Jewish and held a promise for a noble future. ``My two year old first cousin, Rachel-Leah, Whose great- grandmother, and mine, Rachel-Leah, Was first cousin to President Chaim Weitzmann's mother, Rachel-Leah, Was too young to Know the family bond, But not too young to die By toasted hand grenades Led to the pits of slaughter In August 1942 With older brothers Aarale and Yisrael And parents Bas-Malka and Shechina, In Sarny, the Ukraine, By those who begrudged our Jewish people's pedigree.'' President John F. Kennedy coined this immortal message, ``Israel was not created to disappear--Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.''

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to submit a statement on behalf of my constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman. Rabbi Zoberman is the Founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Rabbi Zoberman asked me to submit the following remarks: Our one God of life's precious blessings in a precarious world who created us to be one family, gloriously diverse and gratefully united, so movingly manifest in our beloved Hampton Roads and in this our Standing Together for our sake as well as Heaven's. I am proudly holding my Jewish people's most sacred possession, the Torah Scroll. This one from Brno, Czech Republic, has acquired an added dimension of the sacred. A survivor of the Shoah, Holocaust, number 526 of the Czech Memorial Scrolls, it lost its original congregation and community in the Kingdom of the Night. Hatred of the ``other'' consumed eleven million innocent lives of Jews and Gentiles. The towering Torah's teachings of loving-kindness, is the very foundation of the three great monotheistic religions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Joined by the three great Eastern religions they have served as humanity's conscience and civilization's journey forward. We are taught in the Torah's inerasable lessons begrudged by humanity's enemies, burning the Torah and its people that each human being is equally though uniquely created in the Divine image, that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We are reminded time and again that we, who were rejected and enslaved in Pharaoh's Egypt, ought to embrace the stranger, namely the ``other'' and the refugee, as members of God's family and our own. The Exodus' soaring saga of liberation uplifted Dr. King-- whose celebration we just observed--to remind America to live up to the Pilgrims' vision of fleeing refugees, walking in the shoes of the Biblical Israelites while yearning for a new land free from the persecution of the ``other.'' Freedom of and from religion has allowed America to flourish like no other nation, immeasurably benefitting from the greatest human diversity anywhere. Diversity is divine. We must remember the Jewish refugees, including so many children, fleeing Nazism, who were denied entry to these promising shores. In 1939, the SS St. Louis ship, with its desperate human cargo from Hamburg, Germany, was tragically turned away. I address you from the midst of the children in Europe's Displaced Persons Camps following World War II and the Holocaust. There I spent my formative early childhood, there my family along with a multitude of uprooted survivors and homeless refugees on the run, gradually learned to believe again in human goodness and renew our trust in God after such heavy genocidal losses. Today's refugees too are knocking on the door of ``the land of the free and the home of the brave.'' The Syrian ones, the most vulnerable, are heroically escaping their genocidal regime. They too are in displaced persons camps with their children's bodies washed ashore on European beaches. How can we remain silent? Those allowed to enter following a most careful vetting process, will become along with their progeny, patriotic and tax-paying Americans. Steve Jobs' biological father was a Syrian immigrant. Refugees and immigrants keep alive the American dream for us all, ensuring that America may ever be a blessing. We reassure our dear Muslim neighbors, colleagues, and friends, which we unreservedly appreciate their indispensable contributions without which we would be diminished. Barbaric ISIS targets them too and they fight it with fellow Americans. We all stand together in the ark of survival with a shared future and fate. Indeed, we mutually and joyfully are our sisters and brothers' keepers. We cannot be separated. Let us be mindful of the danger of poisonous demagoguery to our enviable American democracy and inclusive way of life, as well as to our ethical standing. Words and lives do matter. Words and lives are inextricably connected. Let us reaffirm in this grand gathering the infinite value of each and every one of us. Both our differences and commonalities are precious to our common Creator. They should be the same for us. Finally, let us pledge to never ever abandon our deepest mooring and most sacred proposition that God's divinity and human dignity are indivisible. Shalom, Salaam, Peace.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the family of the late Corporal Jerry Clark Burkhead, to commemorate the brave sacrifice of Corporal Burkhead and his fellow Marines who were lost in the Battle for Hill 64 on February 8, 1968 during the Vietnam War. His family asked me to submit the following remarks: Corporal (CPL) Jerry Clark Burkhead, United States Marine Corps, will forever be remembered by family and friends for his caring heart, unwavering loyalty, mischievous nature, and wry sense of humor. Those who knew Jerry well lived fuller lives because of his presence in theirs. Jerry was born in Justisville, Virginia. Jerry is the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Burkhead and brother to Maxine Cherrix (Esley), Colleen Walker (Brice), Janet Williams (Alton), Shirley Johnson (Aaron), Virginia Burkhead, Judi Zimmerman (Doug), Edwyn (Winnie), Dumont (Peggy), Lindo (Pat), Joe (Shirley), and John Daniel (JD). Jerry's large family was the center of his life and the source of his strong character and values. He was a 1966 graduate of Parksley High School and a member of Zion Baptist Church. He joined the United States Marine Corps and deployed from Camp Pendleton, California to the Republic of Vietnam (ROV) in November 1967. On February 8, 1968, during the Tet Offensive by the North Vietnamese Army, Jerry was killed in action in Quang Tri, South Vietnam--officially the Republic of Vietnam (1955 to 1975). This is the story of Corporal Jerry Burkhead and the brave Marines who fought for Hill 64 during the Vietnam War. CPL Jerry Burkhead was an M-60 Machine-Gun Squad Leader in Weapons Platoon reinforcing 1st Rifle Platoon of Alpha Company 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment (A CO 1/9) in I Corps, the ROV. The 1/9, the ``Walking Dead'', were rapidly moved from Camp Evans and flown in by helicopter to the Khe Sanh Combat Base (KSCB) on January 22, 1968. Their mission was to protect the southern perimeter of the 26th Marines (reinforced) at the KSCB. The 1st Platoon of A CO 1/9 (reinforced) was assigned a forward defensive position called the Alpha-1 outpost. The Alpha-1 outpost was a small hill named Hill 64 because of the 62 Marines, including Jerry, and two Navy Corpsmen, who were dug in at a defensive position. Hill 64 was 60 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 20 meters in height. In other words, Hill 64 was shaped like a football with a perimeter of concertina wire, tangle-foot single strand barbed wire, and Claymore mines connected by integrated and concentric trenches with bunkers throughout, dug deep and lined with sand bags. The Hill 64 Marines dug and fortified their position for two weeks while the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) was frequently trying to kill them with artillery and sniper rounds. Somehow, these Marines survived with minimum water, food, sleep, and were exposed to the elements while surrounded by tens of thousands of NVA assault troops. Hill 64, manned by 64 young and brave Americans, was detached from any friendly forces, due to its location 600 meters west of the 1/9 Command Post Perimeter and a mile from the KSCB in the middle of no-man's land. The NVA moved past Hill 64 for the attack at the KSCB with several NVA Divisions in the immediate area, or staged nearby. The NVA had been ferociously attacking other nearby bases, camps, and hills almost every day for weeks prior to the attack on Hill 64, in an effort to completely isolate the KSCB. At 4:15 a.m. on the foggy morning of February 8, 1968, the Battle for Hill 64 began with a barrage of mortars, recoilless rifles, satchel charges, RPGs, and automatic weapons, in a determined multi-pronged assault by a reinforced battalion from the 101D Regiment of the 325C NVA Division against the ``Walking Dead'' platoon. The overwhelming attack by the NVA on the waiting 1st Platoon (reinforced) of A CO 1/9 Marines on Hill 64 is an example of some of the most brutal combat of the Vietnam War. These tenacious foes were locked in savage trench warfare, and often engaged in hand-to-hand combat. The 1st Platoon (reinforced) of A CO 1/9 Marines held against a numerically superior NVA force on Hill 64. From the USMC, 1/9 perimeter, Alpha Company Commander Captain ``Mac'' Radcliffe bravely led twenty volunteers from 2 squads of the 2nd Platoon A CO 1/9 to relieve his brave Marines on Hill 64, and systematically cleared all remaining NVA early on February 8, 1968. CPL Jerry Clark Burkhead was 21 years old as he and his ``Brother'' Marines fought for each other, Hill 64, A CO 1/9, the ``Walking Dead'', the KSCB, I Corps, the RVN, and America. Sadly, 28 brave Americans were killed in action that foggy morning. The Battle for Hill 64 was the last all-out attack by the NVA on the KSCB American and Allied Forces during the 77 day siege of the KSCB. All KSCB veterans from January 20th to April 1, 1968 later received the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism in action against the numerically superior NVA forces. Devotion to duty by A CO 1/9 Marines was exemplified during the Battle of Hill 64. Captain ``Mac'' Radcliffe said of those who fought in the Battle for Hill 64: ``There is a price for freedom, it is called obedience. Obedience to country, to the call it places upon its young men in war, and obedience to oneself. The men in this story paid that price, some with their very lives. We honor them with the memory of their sacrifice. May it never be forgotten?'' CPL Jerry Clark Burkhead, USMC, was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation (January 20, 1968 to April 1, 1968), National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with Tet Counteroffensive Campaign Bronze Battle Star (January 30, 1968 to April 1, 1968), and the Vietnam Campaign Medal for his efforts and sacrifice during the Battle for Hill 64. Jerry: we miss you every day, love you every second, and mourn your passing while bravely and selflessly defending the freedom of people everywhere and these United States of America while so young and strong in life.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to submit a statement on behalf of my constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman. Rabbi Zoberman is the Founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Rabbi Zoberman asked me to submit the following remarks: We are grateful for our one God's blessings, who bring us together to be one family, gratefully united and gloriously diverse through the divine commandments of loving kindness. We have gathered during our sixth annual Veterans Day service at the enchanting sites of the Reba and Sam Sandler Campus and the Simon Family JCC of our beloved Tidewater Jewish Community, home to the stately Jewish War Veterans Monument and captivating Holocaust sculpture linked to the embracing Gifford Holocaust Memorial Garden. Let us pause for both heartfelt gratitude and sacred reflection in the enviable spirit of our unique Tidewater togetherness. In this awesome region of perhaps the world's most concentrated military might, we owe much to the descendants of the Maccabees, our heroic sisters and brothers in uniform from past, present and future, for safeguarding our great American nation as well as its undying dream. We continuously advocate for and advance the cause of our leading democracy so that it may ever be a guiding and gracious beacon of light and consecrated resolve to all near and far. We are painfully mindful of terrorism's darkness unleashed by Iran and its Lebanese and Palestinian proxies, along with Syria's Basher al-Assad and the Islamic State with its affiliates, threatening the very essence of human civilization to which the Jewish people have immeasurably and devotedly contributed. The past Thanksgiving celebration, modeled after the Biblical festival Sukkot, is a poignant reminder of the vital link and unshakeable bond between America's very foundation and the Jewish heritage. The courageous Pilgrims joyfully regarded themselves as walking in the shoes of the Israelites who fled from Egypt's House of Bondage, and were inspired by the ideals and values of the Hebrew scriptures with which they fell in love. In fact, they wanted Hebrew to be the official language of the New World but there were not enough Hebrew scholars around. Imagine there would have been no need for a separate Hebrew school for our children. The past Thanksgiving eve, my congregation Beth Chaverim and Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church held our 16th annual Joint Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. What an endearing display of the American tradition of sharing across lines of faith. On November 9, 2015, we commemorated the 77th anniversary of Kristallnacht (The Night of the Broken Glass), the beginning of the end of European Jewry. We shall always cherish our own Arnold Lind, of blessed memory, who at age ten raced into his burning Synagogue in Muhlheim in Germany to retrieve his beautiful Wimple, witness to the Shoah, a memorial to the great German Jewry. He was fortunate to arrive with his family to these shores of freedom and proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps. I humbly stand before you as a member of the family of the surviving remnant miraculously plucked from the burning fires. At the mature old age of three and a half, I was already a veteran of Germany's Wetzlar Displaced persons camp in the American zone of occupation, but I am also a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces of a reborn nation. My father Yechiel, of blessed memory, served in the Russian Army's 118th Infantry Division decimated at Stara Rusa by the German onslaught which he survived. Let the United States and its partners do their best on behalf of the present day multitude of refugees from war-torn countries, particularly Syria, who seek the shelter of a welcoming home. May Shalom's divine blessings of peace enable us to turn violence into vision, pain into promise, fear into faith, and darkness into light. Amen.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz--forever a symbol of human evil and depravity-- and the end of WWII, history's bloodiest war claiming 50 million lives, along with celebrating the 67th anniversary of the State of Israel reborn in its wake, we are duty-bound to remember these milestones that humanity may yet be free from threats to its very survival. As a son of Polish Holocaust survivors who spent his early childhood in Kazakhstan, Poland, Austria and Germany, I wrote the following poem, ``So unpredictably, in a humble corner/Of the Displaced Persons Camps/ Exhibit in Richmond's Virginia Holocaust/Museum, a family's trying past at/Last has come to rest,/Guarded on a consecrated wall,/Inviting home, allowing unreservedly to/Shed a flowing tear; among the/Remnant of a people deemed expendable/It finds acceptance that only/Those touched by common loss/Provide, for they have shared/The fire and the pain.'' We cherish the victims, survivors and liberators. The majority of the Holocaust survivors have lived in Israel where I grew up beginning in 1949, and those still alive along with their descendants and all Israelis, Jews and Arabs, are vulnerable given Iran's genocidal agenda begrudging Jewish survival and the one and only Jewish state. Iran's agents of terror are active on Israel's south and north borders. I travelled this past January on a Leadership Mission of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (Reform), witnessing first-hand Israel's unique security concerns. We visited Moshav Netiv Ha'asarah on Gaza's border that was hit during the recent 50-day Gaza War and saw an opening of a tunnel dug from Gaza. Israel's resilient people have been terrorized by Hamas' rockets and shells far too long. From Mt. Bental on the Golan Heights at a UN observation post, we gazed on a cold and foggy day at ominous Syria, aware that Hezbollah there and in nearby Lebanon possesses 150,000 rockets at Iran's command. Shiite Iran's drive for a nuclear capability is an overriding goal for its dictatorial clerics whose menacing tentacles pose unacceptable risk not only to Israel, alarming enough, but also to the entire Sunni Arab world whose domination it seeks. Israel's incredible and unshakable bond (so should it remain!) of mutual benefit and common vision with the United States whom Iran calls the ``Great Satan,'' further makes Israel, the ``Little Satan,'' a target for a repressive regime finding the West's progressive democracy anathema. While ISIS (The Islamic State) continues planting death and destruction in a widening range of global aspirations, with brazen barbarism of medieval darkness challenging civilization's norms. Brutal President Assad's genocidal assaults on his own Syrian people have so tragically passed the fourth year mark, with over 200,000 dead, thousands tortured in prisons, 3.9 million refugees mostly in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, and 7.6 million displaced within Syria, with the international community shamefully watching a catastrophe of a profusely bleeding wound infecting an entire region and beyond. Israel, treating wounded and willing Syrians and ever present when disaster strikes anywhere, is the only source of stability and modernity in that troubled part of the world, and in its recent democratic elections Israeli Arabs freely participated (a right denied in the neighboring Arab States) winning the third largest bloc in the Knesset. The arduous search for peace with the Palestinians, who are yet to recognize Israel as the Jewish state it is, remains a steadfast goal in spite of Hamas' avowed aim to fight Israel, and its alliance with the Palestinian Authority. Israel struggles to address its socioeconomic gap and the Jewish pluralism issue, recognizing its astonishing and leading accomplishments testimony to being heir to the great Jewish legacy enriching the human family. The misguided BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement only serves to weaken Israel and the prospects for peace that only a strong Israel can conclude, being the world's only democracy whose very existence and identity are questioned. A growing anti-Semitism in Europe, scene of the unfathomable Holocaust, with murderous acts in Belgium, France and Denmark, threatens Europe's historical Jewish presence. At this season of sacred and soaring remembrance, we recall the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March, the preceding ``Bloody Sunday'' of March 7, 1965, and the following Voting Rights Act. Rabbis and Jewish laypersons were disproportionally involved in the Civil Rights Movement and stood by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to uplift America to live up to its glorious promise for all. My synagogue is the world's only home to two African-American churches. The forthcoming Tiananmen Square Massacre 26th anniversary on June 6th, 2015, prompts me to share my experience, ``The Kaddish letters grow/Small in this overwhelming/Space of invisible evil./I shield them in the pocket,/Close to my heart,/Away from the menacing/Look of the Chinese soldier,/To protect memory.'' May our anguished planet know soon, in partnership with the Most High, Shalom's essential blessings of healing, hope and harmony. Amen. Dr. Israel Zoberman is the founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, this Congress must address the defense sequester with the urgency that is warranted. Our men and women in uniform are fighting bravely around the world, and they depend on the certainty of knowing that they have got everything they need to accomplish their mission. The way to achieve that certainty is made increasingly difficult because of sequestration and the indiscriminate cuts that are affecting our men and women in uniform. I respectfully remind my colleagues today that as we start this budget and appropriations process, that we have the opportunity to replace sequestration in the months ahead. Last year, House Republicans passed not only a budget in a timely manner, but we incorporated increased defense spending to ease the burden of sequestration. Regardless of which side of the aisle we are on today, we all have a deep obligation to pass on the blessings of liberty and freedom to future generations. In order to accomplish that, we can no longer allow Federal budget policy to be dictated by a process that neither side intended to go into effect. I encourage my colleagues to make ending sequestration the top priority in the 114th Congress.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, it is a special and high honor to be in this Chamber of the people's House to honor, to remember, and to pay respectful tribute to a most remarkable American, a true patriot, and one of the finest marines I have ever known, Master Gunnery Sergeant Jimmy Hargrove. He was a dear friend of mine and my family. Jimmy was enlisted. He was an enlisted marine. This is my father, Ike; he is also an enlisted marine. He is doing great at the age of 91. He is an Iwo Jima veteran. There is something about enlisted marines, when we meet each other, we often ask, ``Are you a Parris Island marine?'' I was. If you are a Parris Island marine, you usually give the other alternative, which is this. You say, ``Or are you a Hollywood marine?'' That is, did you go through boot camp in San Diego? Well, that question applies to virtually all enlisted marines, but there are some whom that question really doesn't apply to because the answer is neither Parris Island nor San Diego, but it is a different place they went to boot camp, Montford Point, North Carolina. From 1942 to 1949, 20,000 young African American men, young Black men from across our country like Jimmy, didn't go to Parris Island or San Diego. He went to Montford Point, and that is where he endured the training that defines, shapes, and molds young men and women now into marines--fully segregated units. These marines have gone on to fight in our Nation's battles. Jimmy, for example, fought in Korea and then Vietnam. Some have been grievously wounded. Many gave the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. It was fitting and proper, Mr. Speaker, when in 2012 this body and the Senate unanimously passed legislation which President Obama then signed into law which gave to all Montford Point marines, all surviving Montford Point marines, the Congressional Gold Medal. It was a privilege to be at that ceremony. Jimmy took great pride in this, and he was there as well with his family and his wife, Cheryl. There is no question, Mr. Speaker, that we are a better, stronger, and safer America because of our Montford Point marines, and we are a better, safer, and stronger America because of the life of Jimmy Hargrove. This picture from 2013 at the Marine Corps ball is one of my favorite pictures. It shows the bond between two marines, really one generation to the next. I consider it an honor to pay tribute to him today. Yesterday, Jimmy was laid to rest in Arlington. It is fitting that he is there in Arlington in eternal rest. What I really remember about Jimmy and think about is--it is not pictured in this picture, but his smile, Jimmy's smile. He was always so optimistic, and though he knew the bitter fruit of segregation, he, himself, was not bitter. He was fully optimistic about our Nation, and he fought for our Nation even after his retirement. He engaged in shaping public policy and shaping the way our country is headed. I deeply respect him for this. He did not yield to apathy's seductive call, but he chose to continue to fight for his country. We marines are a proud lot. It is even embedded in our Marines' Hymn. The last verse is: If the Army and the Navy Ever look on Heaven's scenes; They will find the streets are guarded By United States Marines. I think of Jimmy as still being on duty and in Heaven as well. He was a man of deep faith, and so I would say to my friend, in respect for his life and his service to our country, ``Master Gunnery Hargrove, mission accomplished. Job well done, marine. Semper Fidelis. Semper Fi.'' May God grant eternal rest to this fine American, and may God also provide a special measure of comfort and grace to his wife, Cheryl, and their entire family.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I have just returned from an extraordinary experience in July, 2014 in Israel, the land I first came to in 1949 at the tender age of three and a half, already a refugee, from post-World War II Europe. Yet nothing could have prepared me for the surrealistic reality of approaching rockets and wailing sirens, a frightful scenario that Israeli citizens of all ages in its south have had to contend with for fourteen long years, with only fifteen seconds to find protective shelter. I will long remember being awakened by the sirens' piercing sounds of war alert at 3:15 a.m. in Haifa, Israel's northern city, far away from Gaza or as proven rather close, and moving quickly with my mom, a ninety-two year old remarkably resilient Polish Holocaust survivor, to the best possible room in her apartment to await whatever might happen with our hearts pounding. Luckily the rocket was intercepted by an Iron Dome installation that the United States has gratefully financed. No nation would have done less than Israel to fulfill a basic mandate of protecting one's population and all nations would have done more early on. Restrained by its legacy of Jewish and humanitarian values, ever conscious of the double standard applied to its conduct, Israel has exercised an admirable measure of caution to save lives even from the midst of a firing hostile territory controlled by Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization whose covenant unabashedly calls for Israel's destruction and criminally has used children, women and men as human shields; it shot 3500 rockets and also mortars from schools, hospitals, mosques, homes and U.N. facilities with the clear goal of indiscriminately killing and maiming Israelis. When Hamas and the host of other Arab terrorist organizations will care more for their children than the death of its ``enemy's'' children, will there emerge new hope for the long-awaiting to be transformed Middle East. When Israel's insistence on the sacredness of human life--all human life--will become the inheritance of the entire troubled region, replacing pagan human sacrifice, will the yearning of modern Israel and its biblical prophets for that essential though elusive Shalom, Salaam, Peace, reemerge as a potent force for the sake of all. How could Hamas, tragically and ironically elected into power by Gaza's misguided and long-suffering people, following Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza at an enormous cost, squander its donated material resources away from the declared purpose of creating a supportive and necessary infrastructure toward establishing a terrorizing war machine with attack tunnels reaching into Israel with a goal of surprising Israel someday with mortal death blows? We are duty-bound to remember that Iran supplied Hamas with the smuggled weaponry and that Hamas is but Iran's proxy, alerted by Iran's stubborn search for a nuclear capability that will make all the difference. Sadly Qatar is not an innocent by-stander, offering Hamas vast financial support. I was deeply touched by Israel's courageous people coming together in a heart-warming display of national unity in the face of a mighty and unique challenge, while maintaining its enviable democratic impulse of cherished freedom to express a variety of views that could not take place in Gaza. Israel is weeping for its heroic defenders as well as the innocent victims on the other side held hostage by an ideology alien to what we in the West will never willingly give up. Make no mistake. Israel represents the American democratic heritage with common purpose and interest, in a part of the world disdaining it and in which Radical Islam increasingly makes disastrous inroads as the shameful slaughter in Syria and Iraq continues while self-righteous and callous Europe with its growing anti-Semitism fueled by Islamist forces looks aside, expecting the Israelis to be like past Jews who could not defend themselves and paid such a high price for it. Let all Americans say with one voice for the sake of all that is sacred and sane in a triumphant message that dare not be misunderstood, ``Never Again!'' Rabbi Israel Zoberman is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McKeon for his leadership and bringing this resolution to the floor. I thank the original cosponsors, Congressmen Ribble, Barrow, and Rahall for standing with me on this. I respect my colleague from Washington, Ranking Member Smith, and my respect for him is not diminished by the fact that we have strong but different views on this matter. I don't share the ease with which he has accepted the President's, I believe, refusal to follow the law, and I reject outright--and I must do so in this Chamber--the assertion that this is partisan. It is not partisan. It is in my service to Virginia's Second Congressional District. An increasing number of men and women from a very diverse audience in my district are deeply troubled by the President's continued pattern of going outside of the law and executive overreach. This is an example that hits home in our district, which is home to more men and women in uniform, Active Duty and retired, than any other of the 435 congressional districts. They increasingly are asking me this question: What is Congress doing about this? This resolution today is a direct manifestation of my duty and, I believe, our collective duty to hold the President accountable for breaking the law. Now, again, the ease with which some have said that he hasn't broken the law, well, that is not shared by the GAO, the Government Accountability Office. It is an independent nonpartisan agency, and this summer it found that in releasing the Taliban senior commander, in fact, the administration did break the law. That is really not in dispute. If we don't hold the administration accountable for this, who will? That is what we do: making sure that the balance of powers is adhered to. I think it is important that we look at who was released. Among those released is Mullah Mohammad Fazl, the Taliban's deputy defense minister. The President himself acknowledged that there is absolutely the possibility of these senior Taliban commanders returning to the battlefield. They can be released by the Government of Qatar in less than 9 months. The President has more confidence in the Government of Qatar than I do and I think the American people do. So, Mr. Speaker, despite the administration's lawful duty to engage Congress, despite Congress's clear objection in 2011 on these very same detainees, a bipartisan message was sent clearly to the administration: Don't release these prisoners; it is not in the national interests and security interests of the United States. And yet the administration did so. Despite the damage that it has done to our policy of not negotiating with terrorists and, finally, despite the increased risk that this brings to Americans, I believe, on the battlefield in Afghanistan, the administration plowed ahead. And it was far more than unwise; it was unlawful, and it merits condemnation. I will close with this. I really didn't want to bring this to the floor. I know we have plenty of partisan bickering around here, but I looked for someone else and maybe another Member that was bringing something to the floor. I couldn't find it. I thought, well, I guess it falls to us. And I appreciate the ranking member meeting with me and the conversation we had about this matter. We hold different views on this. But I believe this is best for our Nation and, indeed, best for our President and our country and certainly for our men and women in uniform that this is passed today, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in the affirmative.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. I thank my friend for his leadership in this critical area, and for having us out here tonight to talk about the tremendous opportunity to really shape the direction of our country in such a positive way by responsibly opening up our coastal regions for energy exploration. The potential is great in job creation. 25,000 local jobs in the Hampton Roads area--that is southeast Virginia, jobs that would be going to some of those who need so desperately to have job opportunities, for our veterans who are coming out of our military right there in Norfolk and in Virginia Beach and other areas of our district. Let me frame this discussion, Mr. Speaker, with this quote. It was said in this very Chamber. ``This country needs an all-out, all-of-the- above strategy that develops every available source of American energy.'' Mr. Speaker, that was shared by President Obama in 2012. So, in words and in speeches, it surely looks like there is common ground. Now, there is a disconnect in what the President's been saying and what the truth is and what reality is. We will get to that in just a moment. But let's look for a moment at the tremendous opportunity that coastal Virginia energy represents and really, across the country, if we open up our shore lines in a responsible, environmentally responsible, way to improve the lives of Americans, to set our country on a far better fiscal path that gives us the revenues we need to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, and our national security as well. I am an entrepreneur in a season of public service, and I have had these incredible opportunities to look so many in the eye and say, you are hired. And I have also known the great joy, myself, of being on the other end of that and having somebody say to me that I have been hired, and I go home and say, I got the job. We want to hear that more and more in our country. These are the kind of jobs we need in America. They are high-paying jobs. They are skilled jobs. They are tradesman jobs, jobs that we need in our country. I have seen it firsthand, Mr. Speaker. I led a bipartisan delegation to go down to Port Fourchon in Louisiana. They are so proud of their economy. They are proud that their young people are having opportunities. It is just a bustling place. I think of it as booming and growing and optimism. They are also proud of their schools and their roads and their bridges. Why? Because they have got the revenue that they need--this is how they are generating their revenue, through growth. They are also, Mr. Speaker, so proud of their environment. They are so proud of the fisheries that they have there and the gulf waters that are such a part of their lives and have been for generations. Some would present it to us as we are faced with this choice: either you are for the environment or you are for job creation and coastal energy. Look, I reject the premise, Mr. Speaker. It is a false premise. We have a moral obligation to leave our children with clean air and clean water and clean soil. This is common ground, and we also have an obligation. Indeed, I think it is a moral one, to have a strong economy and to leave our children free from a heavy burden of debt, and energy really represents, I think, the principle way that we can grow our economy. There are some, as I mentioned earlier, who present this false argument about either we protect the environment or we grow jobs through coastal energy. We need to really wrestle with these issues of safety, and I am ready for the debate, Mr. Speaker. I welcome the debate. As I mentioned, I have been to Port Fourchon, and that was really the epicenter of the Macondo challenge that we faced there, so much of what we have learned from that has been integrated into the safety policies that we have. We can open up the coast and also create jobs, like they are doing in Norway, like they are doing in Canada. It is not this either-or proposition. So what we have to do is we have to make the words that were spoken by the President--to go beyond a talking point, and to make it a reality, and I thank my friend from South Carolina for his leadership on this issue. I am with you on that letter, and I appreciate your leadership.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Madam Speaker, last month, my wife, Teri, and I had the pleasure of attending a joint church service which brought together Blackwater Baptist Church and New Oak Grove Baptist Church. That occurred in Virginia's Second Congressional District, which I have the privilege to serve. The two churches were celebrating the 240th anniversary of Blackwater Baptist, and what a service and celebration it was. What was particularly enjoyable and noteworthy is that one has a largely White congregation, the other a largely African American congregation, and that is relevant, and, indeed, it is central to my point because Blackwater Baptist Church, which stood at the American Civil War, once had a slave balcony in its sanctuary. Now, the pastors of the two churches, Greg Hammer and Tyrone Johnson, they are remarkable men. They bring their two congregations together once a year for a joint church service. They are close friends, and they talk often about their Christian faith, which binds them together. They also have the courage to talk about race, to celebrate the progress that we have made, and to take on responsibly the challenges that remain in our country. Madam Speaker, this is what we need more of in America, and I commend them both and their congregations.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to submit a statement on behalf of my constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman. Rabbi Zoberman is the Founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Rabbi Zoberman asked me to enter the following remarks into the Record: At this sacred season for the Jewish community, retelling a searing saga of monumental suffering and heroic survival shaking the foundation of heaven and earth, we are embracing Yom Ha'Shoah's (Holocaust commemoration) crushing burden of sorrow as well as Yom Ha'Azmaut's (the 66th anniversary of the State of Israel) uplifting joy. We acknowledge the Holocaust's helplessness and Hatikvah's (Israel's national anthem) hopefulness. These too are our Days of Awe, no less than the High Holy Days, sanctified by our people's blood and resolve, so close in time and theme to Passover's twin poles of bitter enslavement and ever-beckoning redemption for Israel and all humanity. We are the Shoah's wounded survivors and memory's defending warriors. In truth, Jewish progressive ideas and ideals have been a thorn in the side of destructive dictators of all ages, for we have dared declare that every human being is created in the divine image with infinite value; that each human life is unique, indispensable and irreplaceable; that God's divinity and human dignity are forever inseparable. I was born in 1945 in Chu, Kazakhstan (USSR), to Polish Holocaust survivors Yechiel Zoberman and Chasia Bobrov, who had met in Siberia. My following poem is in gratitude to my paternal grandparents Zvi and Rachel Zoberman who along with my parents and uncles Norman and Arthur Zoberman, watched over me during perilous times. In the 1947 photo taken in Germany's / Wetzlar D.P. Camp, the American zone,/Following an escape from Poland and a / Sojourn in Austria,/ Clad in refugees newly acquired garb/ Grandparents Zvi (Son of martyred Rabbi/Yaacov and Dena Manzies Zoberman)/ And Rachel (Daughter of martyred Yitzchak/ And Zipora Anker) of Zamosc, Poland,/Gratefully raised me high,/Their little Torah they managed to save/In the face of the many scrolls/ They could not. We also observe the 20th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide; mourn the loss at the hands of an American Nazi (what a tragic contradiction!) of three precious lives in Overland Park, Kansas, fourteen year old Reat Griffin Underwood and his grandpa, Dr. William Lewis Corporon, and Frazier Glenn Miller; the fourth year of massacres in Syria claiming over 150,000 lives with millions of refugees; Russia's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and the abduction of about 300 Nigerian school girls by the Boko Haram. The State of Israel, home to most of the Holocaust survivors including my own family remains, at 66 years young, a beacon of light and hope, America's steadfast ally with shared democratic values in a shaky region deeming Israel's and America's Western agenda a threat. Iran's continued nuclear ambitions cast a menacing shadow on Israel, the Arab world and beyond. Iran emboldens Hezbollah and Hamas to persist in their obstructionist course with the Palestinian Authority unwisely joining forces with the latter. I have had the great opportunity to visit the Arab states of Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and most recently Morocco, building with fellow rabbis Shalom's essential bridges of peace. I was in Morocco from May 11-18, 2014, on a ``Jewish Roots & Diplomacy Trip'' sponsored by The Central Conference of American Rabbis (Reform), connecting to the remnant of an over 2,000 year old Jewish community with a rich history in a Muslim environment that has largely been appreciative and protective. Matt Lussenhop, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, most graciously addressed our delegation on a host of issues, referring to Morocco as ``A very good partner for the U.S.'' which interestingly recognized the U.S. early on in its independence.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. I thank my friend from California, Chairman McKeon, for yielding. Mr. Chairman, in 1793, George Washington said: ``The Constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore, no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure.'' In a letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1798, James Madison wrote: ``The Constitution supposes what the history of all governments demonstrate, that the executive is the branch of power most interested in war, and prone to it. It has accordingly with studied care vested the question of war to the legislature.'' That is why it is right for President Obama to announce in the Rose Garden that he would seek congressional authorization before taking any military action against Syria. He said: ``I've long believed that our power is rooted not just in our military might, but in our example as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. And that's why I've made a second decision: I will seek authorization for the use of force from the American people's representatives in Congress.'' It is deeply encouraging tonight, Mr. Chairman, to see such strong bipartisan support for my amendment, which advances the just cause of ensuring that the Obama administration and future administrations adhere to the Constitution and the grave matter of engaging U.S. forces in hostilities.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute, to honor, to remember, and to celebrate the life of an outstanding American patriot whom I greatly admired, Marine General Carl E. Mundy, Jr. It is not often, I would think, that a former sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserves becomes friends with a Four-Star General and a former Commandant of the Marine Corps, but such was my good fortune. I met General Mundy--he served as our 30th Commandant of the Marine Corps--through my father, Ike. They lived in the same retirement community in Florida and shared the special bond that binds one generation of American marines to the next. It is a connection that transcends grade and rank, officer and enlisted, and that my father fought in the battle for Iwo Jima, which is a sacred memory for all marines, made their friendship and their mutual respect that much deeper. It was at my dad's encouragement that I reached out to General Mundy when I sought this office. When I met him, he was 73 years old, yet he exuded, without effort and without pretense, the dignity and the military bearing that we would expect of a Marine Commandant. It was his humble spirit, however, that I truly found myself pondering and admiring long after our meetings and conversations had ended. Though the general always encouraged me to call him Carl, I never could. He was always, of course, General Mundy. Always a leader, the general encouraged me in this effort to, again, serve my country, not in uniform, but through public service; and I suspect he lent his good name and reputation to help me more out of respect for my dad than for me. Of the many endorsements I was so fortunate to receive, the general's meant the most. I believe all who favored me with their endorsement-- and I think especially those who served in our United States military-- will understand why the Commandant's endorsement was particularly meaningful. Not long after General Mundy lost his wife of 56 years, Linda Sloan Mundy, the general was diagnosed with cancer. My parents passed him in the neighborhood 1 day when he was still well enough to take his afternoon walks. Dad shared with me the account of how, when the general saw my parents coming and he recognized my father, he stopped, he came to full attention, and offered a respectful hand salute to my dad who, again, was a World War II marine sergeant--a nice, crisp hand salute. Now, this is the spirit of the man and the marine, the humble warrior that I knew and so deeply respected. It is good to see the young people in the House today. As I reflect upon General Mundy's life and his service, I am reminded that we are a free people because good men and women have willingly set aside differences to fight for that, which binds us together as fellow Americans. General Mundy inspired many of us to serve, including his two sons, Brigadier General Carl Mundy III and Colonel Timothy Mundy, both of whom are on Active Duty as United States Marines. So I join my fellow marines especially, including my father, Ike, and grateful Americans across our country, in expressing heartfelt condolences to the Mundy family. It is with eternal gratitude and respect that I will offer a final hand salute in tribute and in memory to the 30th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, an American patriot whom I was so fortunate to count as my friend. General Carl E. Mundy, Jr., United States Marine Corps, mission accomplished, sir. Semper fidelis.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the Terminal Velocity team from the Cities of Franklin and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Team members Steve Motley, Steve Poe, Jason Truitt, Donnie Cagle, Bobby Williams, and Elijah Smith have, for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year, won the Operations Challenge competition held annually at the Water Environment Federation's Technical Exhibition and Conference. They competed against 41 other teams in a series of five water utility operations and maintenance events that demonstrate the variety of skills necessary to operate a modern water utility. They are joined today by Team HRSD of the Hampton Roads Sanitation Districts, winners of the competition's Division 2. Team members Kevin Hafner, Jason Hobor, Laura Laxa, and Tim Scott are also talented water quality professionals that provide a vital service to their community. I congratulate Terminal Velocity and Team HRSD for their commitment to high levels of professionalism and their efforts to protect environmental quality and public health.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Mr. Brad Cumming, a resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia, on the occasion of his retirement from the U.S. Navy's Program Executive Office for Aircraft Carriers after more than 32 years of dedicated service to the federal government. Mr. Cumming has a long history of service to the aircraft carrier community and has emerged as one of the leaders in lifecycle engineering. His keen leadership, innovation, dedicated teamwork, and proven technical and programmatic expertise were critical to his success in ensuring that Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers are ready to provide 50 years of service defending our national interests. Mr. Cumming's current duties as the Deputy Program Manager's Representative for the Carrier Planning Activity (CPA), located at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, include oversight of the overall planning, direction and timely execution of CPA's mission to provide centralized aircraft carrier life cycle management and maintenance engineering. Prior to his joining the PEO Carriers Team, Mr. Cumming spent over 26 years with the Engineering Division at Norfolk Naval Shipyard where he progressed from a design engineer for electronics countermeasures to eventually becoming the Planning Yard Division Head. His post retirement plans include more traveling, spending time with family, gardening and continuing to work with youth through the Young Life Ministry. Mr. Cumming currently lives with his wife Laurie in Virginia Beach. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Mr. Cumming. His long and dedicated service to the United States of America is an inspiration to all of us. It is with great pride that I congratulate Mr. Cumming on his retirement and wish him the best of luck in the future.

Mr. RIGELL

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlelady's remarks. I still hold the view that the sum of all things that I have heard in our district is that the Bureau is doing more harm than good. I urge, again, my colleagues to vote for the underlying legislation and my amendment which would help protect individual Americans and businesses in their ability to seek credit, which is an essential part to keeping our economy growing and creating more jobs. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Chairman, tell me how much time is remaining, please.

Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my friend and colleague from Texas, Chairman Hensarling, and all of those who worked on this underlying legislation, H.R. 3193. My amendment strengthens that legislation, and I really respect how it was crafted, the legislation that underlies my amendment. It really is much needed. My amendment is focused on one of the most critical ingredients that is necessary for those that are trying to start a new business or to grow an existing business, and that is access to credit. Now, I offer my amendment based on my own real-world experience. It is about 22 years ago that I started my business, and I was able to start it and to grow it and to say these wonderful words to so many fellow Americans in Virginia's Second Congressional District, ``You are hired.'' I was able to say those words because one of the ingredients I had available to me was access to credit. I offer my amendment today based, as well, on the clear, united, and truly rational voice that is being articulated by Virginia's Second Congressional District, and that is that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is truly and irrefutably, in their view and in mine, damaging and harming their ability to have access to credit. Common ground is something that I come to work every day seeking to advance. I am convinced, absolutely, that it is here and it can be found. In fact, this gridlock that we so often experience truly is hurting our country. But as I listen to my colleagues so often on the other side--and I have been up here and had the privilege of serving in this institution 3 years--quite frankly, when I hear statements like we don't care about consumers, I take offense at this. And I have listened to it for 3 years, and I think that it does a disservice to this House and to the American people to continually claim that we don't care about the American consumer or that we don't care about the environment or the poor or the aged. Indeed we do. And this represents my best judgment, and the best judgment of so many, that this underlying legislation in my particular amendment would help consumers. I am convinced of this. What my amendment does is it requires the Bureau to simply do this: to consider and to calculate in a very careful way exactly how the impact--the adverse impact that these regulations that are being put forth by this organization--would affect credit. Now, indeed, isn't this common ground? It is really common sense. Before you take any action to do something, you ought to take a moment to consider what that action might do in inhibiting individual Americans and businesses from accessing credit. I think it is critical, too, that we look at the organization itself. This is an organization that is really outside of the scope of accountability that we really should be requiring of each and every agency in the Federal Government. It is largely outside the accountability and the influence of Congress. And this is quite striking: it is largely out of the influence of the President. In a unique way, and I think in a harmful way, it is largely outside of the accountability of the court system. Look, common sense will just tell you that is not a good idea for any agency to be outside of accountability. Each Member here is accountable to our own district. The actions that have been taken by this organization already, sure, we can find a few that have been helpful and I think ought to continue--taking care of our military and making sure that businesses operate in an ethical manner--but, overwhelmingly, what we are seeing is this: that the sum of all things is it is hurting the American consumer, and it is hurting our ability of fellow Americans to access credit. That is why I urge support for the underlying legislation and my amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RIGELL. I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. RIGELL

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

Mr. RIGELL. Madam Chair, I would just state to my friend and colleague that the only piling on, as I see it, are the regulations that are continuing to burden the small business owners. I yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from Virginia, Chairman Goodlatte, my friend and colleague.