Tom Rice

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, what my friends across the aisle are saying is: Here is your $1,400 check, but don't look at what I am doing behind your back with the other $5,500 I am borrowing in your name and in the names of each of your children. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reed).

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I would respond to the comments of my friend, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee when he said that he voted in favor of the bill when Hank Paulson came over and said it is something we needed to do, as opposed to this bill, which President Obama's former director of National Economic Council warned about consequences of this bill for the value of the dollar and financial stability because of the excessive borrowing that we are doing. Again, folks back home, we are borrowing $5,500 in your name, in your wife's name, in your children's name, and giving you $1,400 of it. President Biden's chief of staff boasted about this bill that this is the most progressive domestic legislation in a generation. So it is no surprise, Mr. Speaker, that there is no bipartisan support for this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I agree that the priorities could not be more stark, when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act led to the most successful economy in decades, if not ever, and the lowest unemployment among African Americans, Hispanics, and women in the history of the United States. Whereas, this bill just represents a massive expansion of our entitlement system. Our priorities are to get people to work. The Democrats' priorities are to get people hooked on the government, to make them reliant on government checks. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup).

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my friend and my chairman, who I have great respect for, Mr. Neal, that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was one of the pivotal successes of the Trump administration that led to the lowest poverty among all Americans that had existed in decades, if not ever, and the strongest economy and lowest unemployment among all demographic groups. Whereas, this plan, this so-called COVID relief plan, is not, in fact, a COVID relief plan at all. By far, most of the money goes to creating new entitlement programs. You see, my friends on the other side of the aisle are more concerned with making the American people rely on government programs than they are on creating opportunity for them to lift themselves up. Mr. Speaker, if you operate a small business trying to get people to come back to work, if you are a frontline worker eager to be vaccinated and hoping this plan will speed that up, if you are a family attempting to educate your children while schools refuse to open, this bill won't help you. It leaves you behind. My friend, Mr. Clyburn, said last year that this COVID pandemic created a great opportunity for Democrats to mold things to their vision. Boy, are they delivering. My friends on the other side say this bill is popular, and I don't doubt it is. I mean, it is certainly good politics to say: Hey, we are going to hand you a check for $1,400. Just help us get this across the line, and we will give you a check. But what they don't talk about is what this bill costs. You see, $1.9 trillion is $5,487 for every man, woman, and child in this country-- $5,500 for every man, woman, and child. What these guys want to do is have the government borrow $5,500 in your name, and not just your name, your wife's or your husband's name and each of your kids' names. $5,500 they are going through in the kitty, but they are going to give you $1,400 of it back, so vote for this bill. I think we should look a little further than that. I think we should look maybe at where the other $4,100 that they are borrowing in your name goes. Guess what? That money is going to have to be paid back. It is going to be paid back in higher taxes. It is going to be paid back in lower productivity. It is going to be paid back in lower government services. It is going to be paid back in less opportunity for your children and your grandchildren. Let's look at where this $4,100 goes. $750 of your $4,100 that they are borrowing in your name and each of your kids' names goes to paying extra unemployment for people to stay home. In fact, it pays people more unemployment than they can make at work, in most cases. To bail out union pension plans that are chronically underfunded--and this problem needs to be fixed, but this plan does nothing to fix the problem. They will continue to be chronically underfunded. $177 of your $4,100 they are borrowing in your name and not giving back to you goes to bail out union pension plans. $1,067 of your $4,100 that they are borrowing in your name and not giving back to you goes to bail out blue States. In the prior plans, we already had money to help States. A lot of the money hadn't been spent from the prior plans that we had. But they changed the allocation formula in this plan. It was based on population, so every State was treated fairly. But that is not good enough for places like California and New York that are shut down. So they said: I know. Let's add unemployment in there because our Governors have shut our States down, and our unemployment is higher, and we want more money. We want to take money from places like Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and other States in the Midwest that stayed open, and we want to redirect it to California and New York. So, they threw in unemployment as a criteria. South Carolina, my home State, is the third biggest loser. Florida is the biggest loser. We lose over $1 billion, and $5.4 billion extra goes to rich California. That is $1,067 each of your money. K-12 education, colleges, and universities get $500 of your money that they are borrowing in your name. But guess what? We know you want to send your kids back to school, but they don't require that the schools actually open. Schools are sitting there closed. They are still getting your property taxes. They are still getting all the property taxes that normally fund you. But they are going to send them another $500 of your money but not require that those schools open. $34 of your money goes to museums and Native language preservation. You are spending $34 of your $4,100 on that. Public health organizations, including Planned Parenthood, get $58 of your money that they are borrowing in your name and your kids' money that they are borrowing in their names. It goes to Planned Parenthood. Transportation grants, $128. Agriculture includes socially disadvantaged farmers. What does that mean, people who have historically been socially disadvantaged? That means if you are a White farmer, don't apply. Foreign aid gets $30. Then, I am lumping all the other progressive priorities of $1,279, and with a direct check of $1,400, it adds up to $5,487. Mr. Speaker, this bill has had an absurd lack of bipartisanship. My chairman, my friend that I respect, says that the Ways and Means Committee created this bill. We didn't create this bill. Madam Pelosi uses COVID as an excuse to keep us out of town so she can write this liberal grab bag. We had no hearings on this bill. When we marked it up, there were dozens of amendments offered. Not one single amendment was accepted. This is an absolute ram job by the Democrats of a menu of liberal priorities. Mr. Speaker, we can do better. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I would remind my friend that only about 9 percent of this bill actually goes to speed vaccine production and delivery around the country. And if more of that were occurring in this bill there may be more bipartisanship. This bill is a misnomer called a COVID recovery act when, in fact, it is just an expansion of entitlements that will make people more dependent on the government and will lessen their opportunity and heap debt on our children and our grandchildren.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I would remind the gentlewoman that we are borrowing $5,500 for every man, woman, and child in the entire country with this $1.9 trillion bill and that we are using that money to expand entitlement programs, including the child tax credit. Well, who is going to end up paying back that $5,500 per person? It is going to be the very children that we are professing to help today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I would remind the gentleman that, due to the enormity of this bill, if $800 million of this bill goes to food assistance, that represents less than one one-thousandths of the total. That is a very tiny, small fraction. And the prior bills were done in a bipartisan fashion. I am certain we could have worked in a bipartisan fashion if there was any attempt to do that. But, in fact, this is just a ram job by the liberals to push through a vastly expanding entitlement system. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington).

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 264, to rename the Post Office in Georgetown, South Carolina, the Joseph Hayne Rainey Memorial Post Office. A man, a trailblazer of many firsts, a civil rights pioneer, an American hero that I had never heard of before I got to Congress; I first learned of him because his portrait hangs on the wall in the halls of the House of Representatives. Joseph Rainey was the first African-American Member of the United States House of Representatives. Rainey was born into slavery in Georgetown in 1832. His father was a slave, but also a barber, and used his earnings to buy freedom for himself and his family, including Joseph. During the Civil War, Joseph Rainey was conscripted into the Confederate Army, but he escaped to Bermuda with his family and built a prosperous business as a barber. In 1866, he returned to Georgetown, where he became the county's Republican Party Chairman. In 1870, he was elected to the United States Congress, where he served until 1879. Think about that for a moment. The first African American to serve in the United States Congress was a former slave and a Republican from Georgetown, South Carolina. His tenure in Congress was distinguished by its advancement of civil rights, equality, and opportunity for all. He fought against violence and intimidation toward African Americans. In 1878, as Reconstruction was ending, he was defeated in his last race for Congress. He was one of 14 Black Representatives elected before the end of Reconstruction in 1877. He was the longest-serving African-American Member of Congress, a record which stood until the 1950s. Following his time in Congress, Rainey was appointed as a Federal agent of the United States Treasury Department for the Internal Revenue Service in South Carolina. In 1866, he returned to South Carolina for good and passed away the following year in Georgetown. Rainey fought tirelessly for equal rights, education, and economic opportunity for all. He left behind a legacy that has improved the lives of generations, not just in South Carolina, but across the country. Representative Rainey's house still stands in historic Georgetown. It is located at 921 Prince Street. It was designated a national historic landmark in 1984, and I had the opportunity to visit just last year. The next time you are close by, stroll by the modest home in downtown Georgetown and pause for a moment to marvel at the life of an American hero; a man born a slave, a successful entrepreneur, escaped conscription in the Civil War, and served as a Representative in the United States Congress. What a remarkable life. It was a privilege to introduce this bill that honors a true American patriot like Mr. Rainey. All South Carolinians, all Americans, can look up to Joseph Rainey as a trailblazer of civil rights. I would like to thank Lorna Rainey, the great-granddaughter of Joseph Rainey, for her support in this effort. I also want to thank Representative Clyburn and Representative Mace, who helped move this through committee and bring it to the floor, along with the entire South Carolina House delegation for their cosponsorship of this bill. This is a much-deserved honor for an accomplished American patriot from South Carolina, Joseph Rainey. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yea''.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Oh, I thought you could take it off when you are speaking. I am sorry.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the First District of South Carolina for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 264.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary South Carolinian, Officer Adam Tack of the Horry County Police Department. Last night, Officer Tack was awarded the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award. Officer Tack puts his life at risk daily while upholding his oath to protect his community. He is a true hero. September 17, 2020, Officer Tack saved the lives of Liam and Levi Cannon trapped in a car sinking in the floodwaters of Hurricane Sally. He dove in the water and using his baton broke the window to pull the two children from the car. Tack only had minor injuries and all five Cannon family members survived. Madam Speaker, I join the people of Horry County in recognizing Officer Adam Tack. We thank him for his service and commitment to our community.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary South Carolinian, Ms. Treva Green of Conway and wish her a happy 100th birthday. Ms. Green was 18 years old when she volunteered to become a nurse with the U.S Army. She served our nation in England, France, and Germany during World War II. Following the war, Treva and her husband moved to Conway and served the Grand Strand community as a nurse for over four decades. Wow. Her commitment to her nation and community are truly admirable. She is a shining example of the best of our country. Ms. Green is now enjoying retirement in Conway. Treva recently said ``I've done everything the Lord wants me to do, or at least I tried to and asked for forgiveness for everything I couldn't get by. I'm happy to be alive and I'm happy to be able to tell my story.'' We should all live by this sentiment. Madam Speaker, I join her family and friends in wishing Treva Green happy 100th birthday! I am sure they are excited to see her reach this incredible milestone.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary South Carolinian, Brent Groome. Mr. Groome has served Horry Telephone Cooperative and the region's telecommunications industry over the last three decades. He currently serves as Chief Executive of Corporate Communications and Government Relations but will be retiring this month. Throughout his tenure, Brent has served as a strong advocate for telephone and broadband advancements in South Carolina. Brent has certainly achieved many accomplishments over his career. He has demonstrated consistent engagement and a commitment to excellence while serving on numerous industry boards during his career in telecommunications. Brent's commitment to the community goes beyond his career. He has been a tireless ambassador for many local non-profit and philanthropic organizations. Madam Speaker, I join his family and the people of Horry Telephone Cooperative in recognizing Brent Groome. We thank him for his service and commitment to our community.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of First Lieutenant James B. Miller of Marion, South Carolina. First Lieutenant Miller honorably served his country in the Army during the Korean War. He was awarded the Purple Heart twice while serving with the 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division in Korea. He was seriously wounded by enemy fire in North Korea on March 6, 1953. First Lieutenant Miller returned to duty only a week later. On July 26, 1953, First Lieutenant Miller was tragically killed in action while fighting the enemy in North Korea. Madam Speaker, I join his family and friends in recognizing the life of First Lieutenant James B. Miller of Marion, South Carolina. We honor him and thank him for his service and sacrifice for our nation.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize North Myrtle Beach City Councilman Bob Cavanaugh for his years of service to the North Myrtle Beach community. Since beginning his tenure in 2001, Bob has provided invaluable sen- ice to the community and seen North Myrtle Beach expand into the tourist destination it has become. His experience in the private sector as an executive for General Electric provided an important perspective on city council. During Bob's tenure, North Myrtle Beach further developed the North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex, as well as the aquatic center. In his nearly two decades of service, he has seen North Myrtle Beach continually evolve. Madam Speaker, I join the people of North Myrtle Beach in recognizing and thanking Councilman Bob Cavanaugh for his commitment to the community. We wish him the best in retirement.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Democrats claim to be the party of the little guy. It is easy to talk, but actions speak louder than words. Republicans have offered plan after plan to help ordinary people who need it and to help small businesses struggling to survive, businesses like the 1,700 restaurants along the Myrtle Beach Grand Strand back home that have been devastated by this pandemic. If Speaker Pelosi would allow a vote on any of these bills, they would pass the House and Senate easily, and folks back home would get the help they need. But Democrats have blocked every plan to help the little guy unless we also bail out broke blue States and restore the deduction for State and local taxes for millionaires and billionaires. You see, 90 percent of the benefit of the State tax deduction goes to earners in the top 10 percent. Over 50 percent of the benefit goes to millionaires and billionaires in the top 1 percent, who don't need a bailout. Take Michael Bloomberg, for example. He made over $3.5 billion last year. Mr. Bloomberg works in New York City, which has a combined State and local income tax rate of 12.5 percent. That means restoring the State and local tax deduction would reduce Mr. Bloomberg's taxes by $160 million. That is right, Mr. Bloomberg would get a $160 million bailout. For months, the Democratic leadership has held back help for the little guy who desperately needs it as ransom unless we agree to give a bailout to billionaires like Michael Bloomberg, who would get an extra $160 million. Why would they do that? Remember in the Presidential debate when Michael Bloomberg bragged that he spent $100 million to buy 21 new Democrat seats and put Nancy Pelosi in charge? Now we know why.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Constitution Week and the Theodosia Burr Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It is a privilege and duty of the American people to commemorate the two hundred thirty-third anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention. As citizens of this great nation, we must reaffirm the ideals the Framers of the Constitution had in 1787. Public Law 915 guarantees the issuing of a proclamation each year by the President of the United States of America designating September 17 through 23 as Constitution Week. It is fitting and proper to officially recognize this magnificent document and the anniversary of its creation. Madam Speaker, I join the Theodosia Burr Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the American people in recognizing September 17 through September 23, 2020 as Constitution Week and honor the Framers for their contributions.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a very special lady, Miss Cleo Steele, founder and President of the North Myrtle Beach Republican Club and also a very dear friend. Cleo's dedication and invaluable service to her community and the Horry County Republican Party is unparalleled. During her three decades in South Carolina, she has worn many hats and been a master at each. She is a true leader who has been successful in everything she has tackled. Cleo's energy and tenacity are the envy of those a third the age. She never hesitates to tell you what she thinks, and I have learned you best listen. Her willingness to volunteer and help in any way possible epitomizes what it means to be a selfless servant. She is an inspiration to all that know her and all that know her are better for it. She has served as the Vice President of the Horry County Republican Party, two terms on the South Carolina GOP Executive Committee, and the secretary for my district. Cleo has been a county, state, and national alternate delegate to the Republican Party Convention. In all roles, she has demonstrated passion for the party's conservative platform and enthusiasm. Her presence and leadership in Horry County are irreplaceable. Cleo has been instrumental to the successes of the Republican Party in Horry County and throughout South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I join the people of Horry County in recognizing Cleo Steele. We honor her and thank her for her past and continued service to her community and the Nation.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Chair, I am not here to cast aspersions on disaster relief. I live in a coastal area in South Carolina that has been hit by three storms in the last 5 years: Joaquin, then Matthew, then Florence. I was a tax lawyer before I got here. I didn't know that much about disaster relief, and, unfortunately, I have had to learn way more than I ever wanted to. But one thing that concerns me, and concerns me greatly, is the haphazard way in which disaster relief is granted. And just to understand the order of magnitude that we are talking about here in relief for Puerto Rico, the request of the Governor in Puerto Rico amounts to, just for the two hurricanes--I don't even know what it is for the earthquake; I don't know if they have made an official request yet--but for the two hurricanes, Maria and the other one, amounts to $94 billion. They have been awarded $39 billion, allocated or announced, and they have received, obligated, $20 billion. Now, there were 476,000 applicants approved by FEMA in Puerto Rico. So, if you look at the amount that the Governor requested, $94 billion, that amounts to $200,000 per FEMA applicant, $200,000, roughly. The amount that has been allocated or announced, $40 billion, divided out, it is just under $100,000 per FEMA applicant. And then the amount that has actually been paid works out to--and I have got that exact number here--$41,816 per FEMA applicant for these two storms. And there is, remaining, a tremendous amount of money that has already been allocated that hasn't been paid out yet. And there was disaster money that was made available in the appropriations bill in December for storms that occurred last year plus any storms that occurred within 60 days thereafter, and so these earthquakes are also allowed to access that money. So I don't know that we really need to be rushing in to allocate another $5 billion in aid when there is so much money that is already available to be used for this disaster. I hesitate to do this, but I want to point this out just to show you the order of magnitude. After Hurricane Florence, the Governor of South Carolina requested $1 billion. Puerto Rico has requested $94 billion. The most affected counties in my district were Marion, Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield. Marion, Dillon, and Marlboro are three of the poorest counties in the State. Marion County is 57 percent African American; Dillon County is 51 percent African American; and Marlboro County is 51 percent African American. The average number of people in poverty is 30 percent. The average household income is around $30,000-- just so you know the quality of life of these folks. There were 14,000 houses flooded, water inside the house. Five thousand of those, for some reason, were approved by FEMA. Even though they excluded two-thirds of the people who were damaged in this storm, we were still only awarded $14,000 per FEMA applicant. Puerto Rico, right now, stands at $41,816 per FEMA applicant before this $5 billion that they are talking about adding in here--and keeping in mind that we already did an appropriations bill in December for disaster allocation for last year that this earthquake is already allowed to access. So that is what I wanted to say about the disaster, the total amounts that are asked to be allocated here. But I want to talk also a little bit about these tax benefits. In addition to the $4.7 billion in additional money that is being asked to be allocated here, over the $40 billion that has already been allocated, there are several tax provisions in this bill that have never been considered by the Ways and Means Committee. Tax bills should arise in the Ways and Means Committee. Tax bills should be debated thoroughly. I have heard over and over again, you shouldn't legislate an appropriations bill. This appropriations bill, this disaster bill, contains a number of very significant changes to the Tax Code. Now, some of these were a part of a bigger bill that was marked up with no debate and with no hearings 6 months ago or a year ago, but they have never been debated. There has never been a hearing on any of this in the Ways and Means Committee. The two biggest things are, we are extending here to residents of Puerto Rico, the child tax credit as it exists under the United States Tax Code and the earned income tax credit. Now, people don't know what that means. But, basically, that amounts to about $4,400 per family. And that is not a one-time thing like this disaster allocation is. That is forever. It goes on forever. The really interesting thing about extending this credit to residents of Puerto Rico, is that residents of Puerto Rico don't pay U.S. income tax. They don't file U.S. income tax returns unless they work for the U.S. Government, or unless their income comes from outside Puerto Rico, which is a small number of people. They don't pay U.S. income tax. So what we are talking about doing here is the U.S. Treasury will pay the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit to residents of Puerto Rico, credits against tax they don't owe and will never owe because they simply don't pay income tax. What this is, is a basically $400 a month entitlement forever to the residents of Puerto Rico and it makes no sense. It is not related to the disaster in any way. It is simply a pork barrel earmark is what it is that lasts forever going to Puerto Rico. Those are the big things: the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit. But let me go further. In addition, this bill would provide New Markets Tax Credits of $500 million to Puerto Rico. Now, the New Markets Tax Credit is a wonderful thing. Again, it is something under the United States Tax Code. Puerto Ricans don't pay taxes under the United States Tax Code, but this would extend that credit. I guess, if people invest in Puerto Rico, they would get a credit on their U.S. tax return, $500 million. Just to put that in perspective, it is designed to get people to invest in rundown areas, in needy areas, and it is a good thing. But last year, the total amount for the whole country that we allocated, that we made available for the whole country, was $3.5 billion. This would give $500 million of that to Puerto Rico which would amount to one-seventh of what was granted to the entire country last year. $500 million. I just want to step back and just look at and consider carefully these tax provisions, in particular, before we move forward with them. In my opinion, again, they are not related to the disaster in any way. They are simply a method of creating a new entitlement in Puerto Rico, credits against U.S. tax for people who pay no U.S. tax. But if we are going to do this, certainly, it should be debated fully on this floor, and, certainly, before it ever gets to this floor, it should be debated fully in every committee--particularly, the Ways and Means Committee--which has any possible jurisdiction. So let me go back and end where I started. And that is, that I am not here to cast aspersions on disaster relief. My poor rural counties in South Carolina have been terribly affected, have requested disaster relief, and have received disaster relief. Now they have received far less than we are talking about here in Puerto Rico. Probably, if you looked at all of this, maybe a sixth of what my poor families, my poor African American families, who had nothing to begin with--right in Marion County and Dillon County and Marlboro County--are receiving about a third of what the people in Puerto Rico are going to receive with this disaster bill. We really need to consider the order of magnitude, number one, and when I say these numbers, I am not even counting these tax credits. These tax credits need to be pulled out of this bill and they need to be fully debated.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Officer Jackson Ryan Winkeler who was killed in the line of duty on January 5, 2020 in Florence, South Carolina. Officer Winkeler was attempting to make a traffic stop when fired upon by the suspect. Jackson paid the ultimate price while protecting his community and serving our country. He not only served in law enforcement, but also volunteered with the Latta Fire Department. He is a true hero. The entire community is deeply saddened by the loss of Officer Winkeler. We cannot imagine the heavy sorrow that his family feels at this time. We pray that his life, service, and sacrifice will never be forgotten. Madam Speaker, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the entire Winkeler family and friends for their loss. May God bless them and give them peace during this very difficult time. I ask that we all keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.