Francis Rooney

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Jack Clawson, who recently passed away at the age of 90. Jack was a highly respected resident of our district, not only as the father of my predecessor, Congressman Curt Clawson, but also as a passionate family man and follower of Jesus Christ. He led a remarkable life, having grown up working on his grandfather's farm in Utah and a shipyard in Seattle. As a member of the greatest generation, he joined the U.S. Army and fought for our country during WWII, in Japan between 1945 and 1947 while serving on the staff of General Douglas MacArthur. For three years thereafter, he would serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Denmark. His service to his church would continue throughout his life. A graduate of Brigham Young University and Harvard Business School in the 1950s, he began a successful business career, serving as the President of Thonet Manufacturing Corporation, DeSoto Furniture and Hill-Rom Company. As with every other aspect of his life, Jack instilled a sense of belonging and caring at each of the companies he led. To his friends and family, however, Jack Clawson was known as a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He will be greatly missed by those who knew him and well-remembered by all.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Melanie Allen and her recent recognition of being named the 2018 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Ms. Allen, an extraordinary tennis player, is also a cadet at the United States Military Academy. Melanie recently finished the season in West Point's No. 2 singles position where she had a record of 19-9 in singles matches and 21-3 in doubles matches, both of which boast as single-season personal bests. Not only is Melanie an excellent athlete, but she also holds a 3.65 GPA as a Psychology major. I congratulate Melanie Allen on her recent recognition for, and her dedication to, both athletics and academics. I look forward to hearing of her successes in the armed forces and beyond in the years to come.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a creative solution to enacting term limits without amending the Constitution, H.R. 5539, the Thomas Jefferson Public Service Act of 2018. Under this proposal, after six terms in the House or two in the Senate, Members of Congress will only receive $1 a year in compensation for their service, effectively implementing real term limits. Again, no constitutional amendment necessary. Critics may say this will create a Congress full of rich people, but, in fact, people using this argument are exactly the career politicians we need to weed out. If a person were to ignore the effective 12-year term limit, regardless of how much money they might have, the culture of term limits would be set in and they would be widely opposed, criticized, and should be thrown out. Eighty-six percent of our customers, the voters, want term limits. As a businessperson, I am just figuring out how to get them what they want. That is what we do in the real world: satisfy customers.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a cosponsor from H. Res. 774.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to continue to talk about how dangerous the offshore drilling business is for the eastern gulf and our environment in Florida. Blowouts reached an all-time high offshore in 2016. For every 1,000 new wells offshore, 20 blowouts occur. For 14 years, Taylor Energy has had a well off of south Louisiana that has leaked. It has leaked hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil every year. Leaks from LL&G's pipeline leaked 392,700 barrels of oil in 2017, and in 2016 Shell Oil had a similar leak in one of their pipelines. That is really bad because Shell Oil is one of the best companies in the industry. It shows you that human error cannot be eliminated from offshore drilling, and we should ban it in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the dire need we have for term limits in the Congress. Eighty-six percent of Americans agree, but it is possible that Congress doesn't. I have introduced the Thomas Jefferson Public Service Act of 2018 to create a limit of 12 years without amending the Constitution, something which we all know will never happen. It is time for Congress to ``fish or cut bait.'' To the argument about the value of seniority, I would humbly suggest that we ask the 18- to 25-year old millennials in our country, these folks here, who will be voting and taking over the workforce. As you can see here, they voted massively for Democrats in 2016--that is the blue--and would have left an electoral college of 504 Democrats and 23 Republicans. Across the business world where I come from, employers are responding to the millennials' lack of concern for seniority, refusal to wait their turn, and questioning deference to authority. I am not making a value judgment. I am telling you, that is the way they are; and if you want employees and good people, you have got to deal with their concerns. The digital age is different. We Republicans have a chance of convincing them that we are nimble, flexible, and responsive by adopting this law. If we stay in our rut, like Hamlet, we deserve our fate.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the Thomas Jefferson Public Service Act of 2018, a bill that will effectively put term limits in place without amending the Constitution. The act will reduce the salary of an elected Member of Congress to $1 a year after they serve six consecutive terms in the House, or two consecutive terms in the Senate, and does not require a constitutional amendment. My home State of Florida passed term limits with 76 percent approval. A recent nationwide poll showed that over 82 percent of the American voters support term limits for Congress. Is it possible a disruptive game-changing measure such as this could instill confidence in Congress and set the stage for a wave of innovation and accomplishment? From Cincinnatus to President George Washington, history is replete with examples of leaders who served their country for a time and then returned to private life or other public service. It is time to return to the concept of the citizen legislator.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this week marks the eighth anniversary of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the central Gulf of Mexico. Accordingly, I rise today to, once again, vigorously oppose any effort to allow energy exploration in the eastern gulf. The ban on drilling east of the Military Mission Line, 86 degrees, 41 minutes west, was put in place in 2006 and is going to expire in 2022. We need to make it permanent. Our tourism industry in Florida and our residential development need protection from offshore drilling. We need protection from the oil companies. Another spill like Deepwater Horizon would be an existential threat to Florida. The clockwise loop current, which runs all down the west coast, would carry any chemicals that get into the water all down the west coast to Key West. We don't need the eastern Gulf to become self-sufficient in energy, either. Technology and the shale revolution have taken care of that. The Western Hemisphere is already independent and the U.S. itself will be before long. It is estimated that the U.S. will supply 30 percent of Mexico's gas by 2030. In the Permian Basin alone, one of the three producing sands is estimated to hold over 20 billion barrels of oil equivalence. As the CEO of Shell said recently: We will see peak demand for gasoline and oil within the decade. Shell's latest offshore platform, the Vito, has been scaled back 80 percent from 40,000 tons to 8,900 tons because it is just not productive. Shell is investing in alternative energies. Mr. Speaker, please protect Florida and make the ban permanent.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Hugh Brittenham, a fine young man from Estero High School. At the FSU relays, Hugh was able to both break his already national record setting 800-meter event time, and snag another national record for the 1,600- meter event. I congratulate Hugh for his exceptional commitment to the Estero running program. I also extend my congratulations to Hugh's family, Estero running coaches Mike Bumpus, Ben Pignatone, Leigh Williamson, Brian Olitsky and the late former athletic director Jeff Sommer, who made the Estero running program into what it is today.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sergeant Sammy Gonzalez. A Lee County Sheriff's Office deputy since 2007, he has made an incredible commitment to run from their headquarters in Fort Myers to the Fallen Officer Memorial in Tallahassee, Florida. This effort, a run of approximately 400 miles, is being made on behalf of family members left behind following the on-duty death of a law enforcement officer. Sergeant Gonzalez is raising funds and awareness for Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), a not-for-profit organization that assists the families of fallen officers. C.O.P.S. pays for counseling, summer camp, and other programs for family members of officers killed in the line of duty. This nine-day run, which the Sergeant refers to as the ``Run for the Fallen,'' will require Gonzalez to cover approximately 45 miles each day. The venture, in its entirety, equates to the completion of over 15 consecutive marathons. Good luck and Godspeed.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 90th anniversary of the founding of the American Gold Star Mothers. American Gold Star Mothers dates to 1928 and was founded under the Wilson Administration by Grace Darling Seibold. In 1917, during WWI, families hung banners displaying a blue star for each loved one serving overseas and a gold star for each of those loved ones that made the ultimate sacrifice. Today, the American Gold Star Mothers organization continues to aid and comfort the families of men and women who died while serving their country. On March 24th the Southwest Florida Gold Star Mothers Chapter will hold an event commemorating the 90th anniversary of the American Gold Star Mothers and the 2nd observance of the National Vietnam War Veterans Day. We honor those mothers and families who have lost sons and daughters in recent conflicts around the world, and thank the Southwest Florida chapter for all they do for our fallen heroes and our community.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to not only congratulate the Florida SouthWestern State College men's basketball team as they head to the NJCAA tournament for the first time in only their second season of competition, but also to wish them continued success throughout the tournament. The Bucs clinched the Suncoast Conference Title and head to Kansas with a 29-2 overall record on the season. They are seeded sixth in the tournament. I congratulate Coach Marty Richter and all of the players for their hard work this season--best of luck and continue to make us proud.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to not only congratulate the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) women's basketball team as they head to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons, but also to wish them continued success throughout the tournament. The Eagles fought hard to beat Jacksonville and clinch the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championship. I congratulate Coach Karl Smesko and all of the players for their hard work this season--best of luck and continue to make us proud. Wings up.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Thomas Cronin, a generous citizen of Southwest Florida who peacefully passed away on February 16, 2018. After attending St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and Fort Myers High School, he proudly served his country in the United States Army. Then, he returned to Southwest Florida and served his community as a businessman and philanthropist. He was instrumental in the founding of the Southwest Florida Regional Hospital, now part of LeeHealth. Further serving our community, he worked on projects such as the development of Hodges University, the City of Palms Park Stadium, and the revamping of worn-down properties to increase the beauty of our paradise coast. His leadership is shown through his active roles in local projects such as the Lee County YMCA, the Shell Factory and Nature Park in North Fort Myers, the United Way of Lee County, and the Jaycees and Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary. The Southwest Florida community celebrates him for his cheerful Irish spirit, kind heart, and selfless service to his community. I want to extend my condolences to his wife, Pamela Cronin, his son, Thomas Cronin, Jr., his daughter Constance Martine Cronin, and the rest of his loving family and friends.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss H.R. 4770, the Protecting and Securing Florida's Coastline Act, making permanent the military mission line moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Why we do not want offshore drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, Floridians do not want offshore drilling--no Democrats, no Republicans, no rich people, no poor people, no nobody--and here is why. We have a tourist economy and highly developed residential coast, bays, and estuaries. There is no place for commercial infrastructure, tank farms, workboats, or offshore supply vessels. The military doesn't want it either, hence the military mission line to protect their training and testing. Offshore drilling led to one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon failure, which could happen again at any time. It put 215 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The effects are still being felt. And you have got to remember, tourism generates $50 billion a year in Florida.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the important and strategic relationship between the United States and Kazakhstan. I was in Kazakhstan in 1992 as the nation was being reborn. Since declaring its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan has reached toward the West to build strong relationships, particularly with the United States. They have been allies in the region and have become a destination for American business investment. The United States was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan's independence and our friendship has grown ever since. Kazakhstan works with us on issues like nuclear non-proliferation and counterterrorism. It exerts significant influence in Central Asia and has supported peace and stability around the world. In 2015, after a protracted negotiation and having made material concessions, Kazakhstan was admitted into the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, since 1994, shortly after separation from the USSR, the United States has granted yearly normal trade relation status to Kazakhstan, due to its compliance with Jackson-Vanik, which requires non-market economy nations to improve human rights before allowing trade. However, the United States has not yet granted permanent normal trade relation status, which requires congressional action. The United States has important economic interests in Kazakhstan and increased bilateral trade would strengthen our relationship. Therefore, we need congressional action to normalize trade with Kazakhstan.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss an invasive and dangerous species destroying our Everglades ecosystem. Geoff Roepstorff, pictured here, is a constituent who is a banker by day and a python hunter by night. I hunted with Geoff and killed some of these pythons while participating in the South Florida Water Management District Python Elimination Program. One of the pythons I killed is hanging in my office today. You can come by and see it. The elimination program has removed over 820 snakes from south Florida, but as of now, they can't hunt inside the Everglades National Park because of Interior regulations. These predators eat up small animals and disrupt our ecosystem throughout the Everglades and even eat panthers, bobcats, and alligators, and they pose a threat to humans. The South Florida Water Management District Python Elimination Program incentivizes members of the public to assist in hunting and eliminating these invasive species. I want to especially thank Mike Kirkland and Tia Barnett from South Florida Water Management District for their work on this program, and I say that now is the time to allow experienced and trained hunters like Geoff Roepstorff and others, as part of the elimination program, to be allowed to hunt and eliminate pythons in Everglades National Park.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to, once again, vigorously and unrelentingly oppose offshore oil and gas exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. I know this is an imperfect graphic, but what I have got here is a map of the Gulf of Mexico showing the Military Mission Line, longitude 86 degrees, 41 minutes, where the military doesn't want offshore drilling east of it, and neither do we citizens of Florida. This big blob here is where the oil companies want to go get oil and gas and tear up our Gulf of Mexico and change our coast from high- quality residential development to things like this: huge, steel-hulled offshore supply vessels coming in our residential bays and estuaries. This is Sanibel Lighthouse. We don't want to see a commercial vessel like this in Sanibel Lighthouse, nor do we want to see one in the Gordon River of Naples surrounded by beautiful homes, trees, and second homes of retirees who have come to Naples to make it their home. This thing could be replicated in Fort Myers as well. We can't let our coast be changed irreparably by industrialization to support unnecessary offshore drilling.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Michel Doherty as she nears her 93rd Birthday. Michel has lived in Cape Coral for more than three decades and has been a role model for many. From her philanthropic endeavors to her volunteerism, she has influenced the minds of those destined to make a difference, while making an everlasting impact on her own. Michel was previously named Lee County Citizen of the Year and received The News-Press 2014 People of the Year Luminary Award. Beyond her honors and achievements, Michel has a heart of gold. I thank Michel for her years of service.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Dr. Peter Bergerson as he commemorates a half-century of service in the academic arts. Dr. Bergerson received his Masters of Public Administration from Indiana State University and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Saint Louis University. He was selected as a James J. Malone Fellow, National Council on U.S./ Arab relations, for study and travel in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and also received the National Endowment for the Humanities Grant to study the ``Diffusion of Public Policy Among the American States.'' Dr. Bergerson serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Public Administration and is well known for his keen political analysis. He is a highly-respected commentator on local, state, and national political trends and elections. His areas of expertise include the Second Amendment, ethics, and Florida campaigns and elections. Dr. Bergerson has spent the last 15 years teaching a wide range of political science courses at Florida Gulf Coast University. Many of his former students have distinguished themselves as community leaders in electoral politics as well as law, policy, and a variety of non-profit organizations. It is fair to say that he has made an indelible impression that will continue to shape Florida policy for decades to come. Fondly known on campus as ``Dr. B,'' his former students are quick to recall his quick wit, and passion for preparing young minds for a future in civic leadership. He is truly a credit to his profession and I again congratulate Dr. Bergerson for 50 years at the lectern.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Collier County Superintendent Kamela Patton for being awarded the ``2017 Superintendent of the Year'' by the Consortium of Florida Education Foundation. Throughout her seven-year tenure, Patton's Administration has hosted numerous financial aid nights to assist students and families navigate the complex student financial aid process. Beyond her dedication to provide career based support for students, Superintendent Patton demonstrated strong leadership during Hurricane Irma, which directly affected Collier County. The school district opened 28 schools to serve as shelters for thousands of people who were impacted by Hurricane Irma. I applaud Superintendent Patton for her dedication to educate our youth. We are proud of her achievements as she is the first superintendent from Southwest Florida to be honored with the award, in its 11th year of launch. I thank her for her commitment to our community and her years of service.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Res. 599, seeking a political solution in Yemen and putting pressure on Iran to stop their nefarious activities there. I thank Chairman Royce and Mr. Khanna for bringing this to the floor today. Like Hezbollah and Syria, these Houthi rebels are just another Iranian proxy, nurturing Iranian hegemonic ambitions in the region which continue to destabilize the Middle East and impede our efforts to reinforce the historic Sunni balance of power. A few thousand Houthis--a distinct minority--are trying to subjugate 27 million Yemenis. Iran supported the Houthis' overthrow of the elected President. They continue to export weapons to Yemen, including rockets and ballistic missiles. Some of these things involve antiship weapons and sea mines, which could threaten our own U.S. Navy. Houthi rebels have directly attacked Saudi Arabia's property, further escalating the tensions and bringing us to the brink of a broader conflict in the area. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for bringing this important resolution to the floor.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Current Employee Representation Act with Congressman Bradley Byrne of Alabama and Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina. The Current Employee Representation Act would provide union members more representation as their views may differ from decisions made decades ago especially in the rapidly modernizing workforce of today. This legislation also gives union employees more power to be heard and hold the higher-up decision makers within unions more accountable to the rank and file. The United States is seeing shifts every day towards a more modern workforce. Many current employees are locked into old and outdated union contracts, approved long before they were hired. All employees deserve a voice that is reflective of today's workplace. They should be given options and a voice in the structure of their workplace, and not be subject to the same union practices of the past. This legislation aims to allow new employees an option to elect new union representation. And if they deem the union unnecessary, it would give employees the right to decertify and represent themselves. Why should outdated union agreements set the rules for the 21st-century economy? I thank my colleagues who have already supported this legislation and look forward to working with them to see this and other modern workforce policies advance in this chamber.

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida

Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have been in the oil and gas business for many, many years, and the drilling business. I have been out to drilling rigs offshore, and I have been to platforms offshore. I have interests, now, in several countries that do oil and gas, but I must vigorously and relentlessly oppose any move towards seismic testing or offshore drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and along the west coast of Florida. Our west coast of Florida is highly developed with residential development and so are our bays. We can't tolerate the kinds of work boat, tank farm, and infrastructure necessary to service offshore rigs, because it is not just about the rigs. This is a picture of work boats going from Grand Isle, Louisiana, out to the many, many rigs offshore the south Louisiana coast. This is a picture of work boats. This is what goes back and forth to offshore rigs every day. Here is another one. We don't have room for these things in our bays. We don't have time to see these things going off our coast, ruining the view that our tourists get. Here is one last one. That is a cable tower putting down moorings, the big round metal moorings that these boats tie off on. We don't have room for those moorings in our rivers and bays. So, for that, I again want to oppose any move towards offshore drilling in the southwest Florida coast.