John Shimkus

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chair, it actually was great to follow my colleague from Vermont, who is a thoughtful individual, who always raises good questions, who really is open to debate, and he stumbles onto the truth in this. This does have an issue of net neutrality. Our problem has always been, we now have a Federal agency imposing what there was no need or desire, by many of us, to fix. So now we are trying to make sure that this Federal agency doesn't kill the goose that laid the golden egg. There is a fear. He was correct in also saying there was a fear. So how do you ease that fear? You enshrine into law the promises made by the administration and by the Chairman of the FCC. You take away the fear. It is not like, well, maybe this is what he said, but maybe he will do this. Just codify it. Then we know what the law is. Then everyone who brings it into litigation can say, well, here is the black and white law. Of course, we also have trouble with the courts. We would hope that the courts would read the black and white language of the law and then rule that way. All we are trying to do is trust, but verify. What we see is that the net neutrality debate was a fix seeking a problem, which there was no problem. No one can stand on our side today and say we have not advanced greatly by this new technological age and that we need more government to help cause it to flourish more. We are afraid of a Federal agency. We are afraid that the FCC has gone too far. We need to enshrine this into law. Everybody knows the ground rules. That is all my colleague, Mr. Kinzinger, is trying to do. I would ask my colleagues to support it.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the inducting of Capt. John Edgar Tipton into the ROTC Hall of Fame. John grew up in Granite City, Illinois and graduated from Granite City High School in 1989. After graduation he enlisted in the military to serve in Operation Desert Storm. John then went to SIUE and graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate from the Army ROTC Program in 1995. He had earned many commendations including: a Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Valorous Unit Award. And so it is most certainly fitting that such a heroic and distinguished man should be enshrined here on this historic day, the 100th anniversary of the ROTC. On May 2, 2004 Capt. Tipton was killed when a piece of shrapnel from an explosion came through the window of his office and struck him. We will forever be indebted to him and to his family for their sacrifice. It is important, however, that we, in remembering his courageous service as a soldier, do not forget his service as a wonderful son, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a beloved friend. I have had the privilege of knowing both his wife Susie and his in- laws for some time now. In times like these I am reminded of the comforting words of John 11:25 ``Jesus said to her, `I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.' ''

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of the accident which tragically claimed the lives of former Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and thirty-four others two decades ago. Among the casualties that night was S/SGT Gerald V. Aldrich II of the United States Air Force. S/ SGT Aldrich perished while in service to his country, and though we may never fully comprehend the grief felt by his mother, Hazel Aldrich Wattles, his wife, Petra, his two sons, Timothy and Joshua, and his sister, Sherry Roley, they may rest assured that they have my heartfelt condolences on their loss and the appreciation of a grateful nation. S/SGT Aldrich, who grew up in Louisville, Illinois, graduated from North Clay High School with high honors, and turned down more lucrative job offers for a career in the Air Force, died on Good Friday, April 3, 1996. So it only seems appropriate to look to the Bible for strength. Psalm 46:1 tells us that ``God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.'' Let S/SGT Aldrich's loved ones know they are in my thoughts, and I pray that his sacrifice shall never be forgotten.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the outstanding success of the St. Joseph-Ogden Boy's Basketball Team. The St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans defeated Rockridge 61-43 on March 11 to give the school its first ever Class 2A boys' basketball state title. After struggling for much of the season, and their season on the brink, the Spartans put together an improbable ten-game winning streak which culminated in a state championship. I would like to congratulate boys athletic director Dick Duval, head coach Brian Brooks, assistant coaches Kiel Duval, Mike Bialeschki, and Isaiah Olson, and athletic trainer Casey Hug, who worked hard to help St. Joseph-Ogden achieve this victory. Members of the state championship team include: Ty Brown, Brandon Trimble, Brandon Dable, Drayke Lannert, Kolten Taylor, Garrett Grimsley, Aaron Schluter, Tegan Poole, Jake Pence, Kohlten Johnson, Jordan Brooks, Brody Trimble, Eli Oltean, and Ryan Ferriman. I look forward to the continued success of the St. Joseph-Ogden Boy's basketball team and I extend my best wishes for another outstanding season next year.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, our Nation's Vietnam War Commemoration gives us the opportunity for all Americans to recognize, honor, and thank our Vietnam Veterans and their families for their service and sacrifices during the Vietnam War from November 1, 1955 through May 15, 1975. Over 9,000 organizations across America have joined with the Department of Defense as a Commemorative Partner to honor our Nation's Vietnam Veterans, including Benjamin Mills Chapter, NSDAR; the Illinois State Organization, NSDAR; and the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. This year's commemoration includes nine million Americans, approximately 7.2 million of them living today, and makes no distinction as to who served in-country, in-theater, or was stationed elsewhere during those 20 years--all answered the call of duty. Veterans' Affairs Secretary Robert A. McDonald has designated March 29, 2016, the last day that U.S. troops were on the ground in Vietnam, as a day to honor those who have ``borne the battle'', and to extend gratitude and appreciation to them and their families. Alan Gaffner, the Mayor of the City of Greenville, has also proclaimed March 29, 2016 as: WELCOME HOME VIETNAM VETERANS DAY in Greenville, Illinois. I stand with Major Gaffner and my constituents in Greenville as we humbly thank our Vietnam Veterans for their service and sacrifice.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time to speak on the rule. Our process for a bill to get to the floor is it has to go through the Rules Committee. This was a very, very important bill. It was interesting in the debate, listening to the sides, because there is an argument by constituents of having clean bills: one bill, one issue, simply understood, vote on it, instead of this horse trading that sometimes gets proposed: you give me this for my giving you that. I can tell you one thing, I know in my district they really don't like this. They want us to be accountable for a bill. I also get frustrated with how easy it is to throw away jobs: I only have blank kilns in my State. Those are good-paying jobs for families, and they are important to the fabric of those communities. Just to say, ``Look, I have only got two. I don't really worry about them. Let's trade them off'' is really troublesome, and I am sorry we fall into that type of debate. This is really part of a bigger debate in that the courts have already done this with the Clean Power Plan, the climate change bill. The debate is, ``Okay. EPA, you can do the regulation. Do the regulation.'' What the EPA likes to do is do the regulation; and they play this game: ``We know it is not legal, so we will impose the regulation. We know it is not legal. We are going to force industry to comply,'' and then when the courts say it is not legal, they have already gone too far, and the jobs have been lost. That is factual. That is what happened in 2003. That is what happened when the EPA promulgated the MACT rules in 2003. The rules were vacated by the Federal court in 2007--vacated--which means you can't do it. But the industry already was forced to do it, either to spend millions and millions of dollars, or they had to close. So fast-forward. Where are we today? The courts have done this on the Clean Power Plan, the big climate change rule. What the Court just said for the first time, the Supreme Court said: No, we are not going to force the States to implement the Clean Power Plan until it is litigated in the courts. They put a stay on everyone and said: Don't do anything. Let's have the legislative- judicial debate and fight. That is what this bill does. Let's just have the litigation on the legality of this new rule. If it comes up that it is legal, then the industry is going to have to comply. But if it comes out that it is not legal, guess what. We are going to save jobs. We are going to save communities, and we are going to save the family income for two kilns in a State or maybe more, depending upon the brick-producing capability of individual States. So I am down here just to thank the Rules Committee for bringing this bill to the floor. I look forward to the debate. It is much more than brick kilns. It is about when can the EPA force a company to do something. We would hope they could only do it after it has been ruled legal by the courts if someone challenges a rule, and that is what this does.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, it does take an act of Congress to transfer lands and buildings, and that is kind of what we are doing here today, so I rise in support of this bill. It is a very simple bill that is going to benefit the VA there in Danville, but also the local community with the Danville Area Community College. Danville, Illinois, is a small town that has been home to some big names. Dick Van Dyke called Danville home in his childhood. Speaker Joe Cannon, a name we all know in Congress, was from Danville. Today, Danville is home to the VA Illiana Health Care System and the Danville Area Community College, commonly known as DACC. DACC's president, Dr. Alice Jacobs, is an exceptional leader who has dedicated 45 years to higher education, including the last 16 years leading DACC. She has recently announced her retirement in the coming year, and I thank her for her dedicated service to the students and the community of Danville and wish her the best in the future. The VA and DACC are an excellent example of how two institutions can work in cooperation to serve our veterans. The location of the VA hospital adjacent to the community college campus allows our veterans returning home to seek their medical care and help with benefits, while the college provides the opportunity for educational and training experiences that can help them transition into civilian life. However, when the property lines were drawn between these two fine institutions, it wasn't in a straight line. Today, that has created a challenge as the VA explores the option of building a security fence along its boundary. Building that fence along the existing property lines will be more expensive. My bill, H.R. 3262, solves this problem by swapping two small parcels of land that both the VA and DACC have agreed to, creating a straight fence line. Swapping these parcels is beneficial for the local community as well. In exchange for the land it gives up, DACC will receive a parcel of land with a historic, century-old Carnegie Library. This building has become so deteriorated and expensive to maintain that the VA has stopped using it. Now the building sits vacant while the VA still pays for basic maintenance and utilities. In its testimony to the House Veterans' Affairs Committee's Health Subcommittee, the VA stated that disposing of this building would save an estimated $98,000 over the next 10 years. Danville and DACC see great potential for the building. Through the generosity of a private donor, DACC plans to transform the old library into a cultural center, providing the local treasure. Swapping these parcels of land is a win for the VA, saving money on the construction of the fence and maintenance of an unused building, and a win for Danville, providing the community with a historically significant location to host a valuable cultural attraction. H.R. 3262 is a simple, win-win bill for all parties involved. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Brown for their support in moving this bill, along with the Veterans' Affairs Committee staff for their work in getting the bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3262.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. I appreciate the chairman's leadership. The gentleman knows how hard I work in supporting freedom and of my opposition to totalitarian regimes. Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, we passed H.R. 757, the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act. Unfortunately, I missed that vote--that happens here sometimes--and the gentleman knows how I fully support it. Again today we address a problem with a rogue regime: Iran. I voted against the flawed Iranian deal. Iran still holds a marine veteran, a contractor, an American pastor, and a Washington Post reporter. They have tested two ballistic missiles. Sanctions should not be waived by the U.S. That is why I support this bill.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I have voted over 60 times to repeal or to replace all or portions of ObamaCare. I have voted numerous times to defund Planned Parenthood. These issues have always been held up by the parliamentary rules in the Senate, which is the ability of a minority number of Senators to block bills from coming to the floor. But not now, not today. Under reconciliation procedures, a simple majority vote can move a bill out of the Senate Chamber. So today we will vote to repeal and replace major pieces of ObamaCare that distort the market, raise prices, and deprive our citizens of choice. The bill today will eliminate the individual mandate and the employer mandate. The government's forcing of our citizens to buy a product that they do not want is un-American and costly. I say good riddance. We were all aghast over the recordings that were released that highlighted Planned Parenthood's selling of baby body parts. As a Member who believes that individual, distinct life begins at conception, Planned Parenthood's lack of remorse or even of concern highlights its dark business. Today we send a bill to the President's desk to defund Planned Parenthood. Many of my constituents have told me: We gave you the House majority in 2010. What have you done? We gave you the Senate majority in 2014. What have you done? Why can't you get something to the President's desk? Today we do. We send a bill to the President's desk that repeals ObamaCare and defunds Planned Parenthood, and it is about time.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. I want to thank my colleague from North Dakota and just say a couple things. First of all, what we have done on the omnibus is great public policy. Crude oil is a commodity like corn and beans that should be sold on the world market. Secondly, more oil on the world market lowers the prices for crude oil for everybody. Thirdly, on the international security arena, and by focus on Europe, and primarily the old captive nations of Eastern Europe, is that they are being held hostage by energy extortion by the Russians. The more we put more crude oil on the world market, the more that lowers the international price. That makes them have the opportunity to be free and independent from a totalitarian regime that is their neighbor to the east. I appreciate my colleague offering me up an opportunity to address this.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the Purple Raiders of Arcola Jr. Sr. High School as the IHSA Class 1A high school state champions. On November 27, 2015 Arcola defeated Stark County by 35-17 winning the Class 1A State Championship. I would like to recognize the effort of this amazing team and congratulate them on their historic season as they celebrate their first state championship title in 27 years. I would also like to congratulate the Strader family. Brothers Clayton and Connor and their cousin Chase for contributing to six touchdowns and several tackles. Tommy Eddleman, Jim Fishel, Aldo Garcia, Chad Hopkins, Jarod Kiger, and John Lidy make up the coaching staff which supported Athletic Director and Head Coach, Zach Zehr to provide great leadership for these talented football players. I look forward to the continued success of the Arcola Jr. Sr. High School. I extend my best wishes for another outstanding season next year. The following are Arcola Purple Raider Varsity Football players: Conner Strader, Clayton Strader, Parker Ingram, Kollin Seaman, Martin Rund, Daniel Mendoza, Victor Gonzalez, Myles Roberts, Blake Lindenmeyer, Seth Still, Chase Strader, Mario Cortez, Sam Crane, Alec Downs, Tony Salinas, Wyatt Fishel, Giovanni Salinas, Brandon Lebeter, Cole Hutton, Rey Garza, Ethan Still, Mason Gentry, Javi Leal, Pablo Rodriguez, Kaleb Byard, Jonny Garza, Dalton Pantier, Gavin Coombe, Luke Spencer, Tito Garcia, Clayton Kuhring, Jack Spencer, Alex Kauffman, Aaron Dudley, Grant McPherson, Jorge Garza, and Jack Nacke.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a truly remarkable woman. Ivadale Foster passed away on November 14 in her hometown of Danville, Illinois, at the age of 93. Mrs. Foster was a pillar of the community, who dedicated her life to helping others. Her list of accomplishments and memberships on various community organizations is extraordinary. In 1964 Mrs. Foster was recognized as one of Danville's outstanding women and was named volunteer of the year in 1993. She was the first and only African American woman to serve on the Vermilion County Board, a position she held for three decades. She was active in the Laura Lee Fellowship House, American Legion Post 736 Auxiliary, and the Danville Public Schools, to name just a few of the organizations on which she served. Her list of accomplishments could fill pages, and because of that record of service, the City of Danville and Vermilion County has lost a leader, a trailblazer, and an icon. Ivadale Foster embodied what is good and just in America, and her legacy of community service will touch future generations. My sincere condolences go out to the family of Mrs. Foster, as we all mourn her passing.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 180th anniversary of the founding of Centenary United Methodist Church in Effingham, Illinois. Centenary United Methodist Church can trace its origins to 1835, four years after Effingham County was established. This makes Centenary the oldest congregation in Effingham County. The congregation at first had no building in which to worship, the first members of the church would meet in each other's homes. Ground breaking for the current church began in 1954 and the building was dedicated in 1961. Centenary United Methodist Church has a long tradition of community involvement and care, and for 180 years it has been serving the spiritual and emotional needs of its members and the community with many different activities and programs. I look forward to the continued success of Centenary United Methodist Church, and I extend my best wishes to it on its 180th anniversary.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the Purple Raiders of Arcola Jr. High School as the IHSA Class 1A high school state champions. On November 27, 2015 Arcola defeated Stark County by 35-17 winning the Class 1A State Championship. I would like to recognize the effort of this amazing team and congratulate them on their historic season as they celebrate their first state championship title in 27 years. I would also like to congratulate the Strader family. Brothers Clayton and Connor and their cousin Chase for contributing to six touchdowns and several tackles. Tommy Eddleman, Jim Fishel, Aldo Garcia, Chad Hopkins, Jarod Kiger, and John Lidy make up the coaching staff which supported Athletic Director and Head Coach, Zach Zehr to provide great leadership for these talented football players. I look forward to the continued success of the Arcola Jr. High School. I extend my best wishes for another outstanding season next year. The following are Arcola Purple Raider Varsity Football players: Conner Strader, Clayton Strader, Parker Ingram, Kollin Seaman, Martin Rund, Daniel Mendoza, Victor Gonzalez, Myles Roberts, Blake Lindenmeyer, Seth Still, Chase Strader, Mario Cortez, Sam Crane, Alec Downs, Tony Salinas, Wyatt Fishel, Giovanni Salinas, Brandon Lebeter, Cole Hutton, Rey Garza, Ethan Still, Mason Gentry, Javi Leal, Pablo Rodriguez, Kaleb Byard, Jonny Garza, Dalton Pantier, Gavin Coombe, Luke Spencer, Tito Garcia, Clayton Kuhring, Jack Spencer, Alex Kauffman, Aaron Dudley, Grant McPherson, Jorge Garza, and Jack Nacke.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, as we hear talk of bills on the floor and international climate meetings with the world community, I want to bring to my colleagues' attention and to you, Mr. Speaker, the real destruction that is going on in the fossil fuel areas of our Nation, one that I represent, the Illinois coal basin. I want to start by quoting the mayor of a town named Galatia in two articles from the paper called The Southern. In a November 5 article, he basically says: ``Without the coal mines, we are going to be in dire straits. That's all there is to it.'' The mayor is referring to what we have come to the floor numerous times to talk about, and you actually heard it from my colleague today, the war on coal, the intent by this administration to take coal out of the portfolio of electricity generation--and, really, any other fossil fuel they can get their hands on, whether it be crude oil or whether they will then move to natural gas. Later on, the mayor, in another article from the same paper, on November 12, says because the New Era Mine in Galatia is now going to close, this closure, `` `It impacts everybody,' said David Harrawood, the village's mayor. `It doesn't just impact coal miners. It impacts trucking businesses, the stores, all their vendors. It's not just one segment. Down here, we're all tied together.' '' So that is the human toll of the war on coal. The human toll is lost jobs, lost benefits, bankruptcies, which then creates a risk to the promised pension payments to the retirees. It becomes a loss of revenue to the taxing districts, to the counties, to the villages, to the first line responders, support for our schools. It dries up the ability for the local grocery store to operate, the local hardware store, and it is, as the mayor has said, devastating to southern Illinois. Now, when you hear the debate internationally, it is carbon dioxide, CO2. In fact, I always talk in the committee about then- Senator Obama and his quote to the San Francisco Chronicle, when he was interviewed by the editorial board, when he was asked about climate and his plan, and here is his quote. You can YouTube it. It is easily accessible. ``So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; It's just that it will bankrupt them.'' That has been the plan since 2008. That has been the plan in the first 4 years of his administration, and that is what he is striving to do, pushing with all his force to not only do here in the United States, but do in an international venue. He is being successful, as we find out in the announcement of the closure of the mine in Galatia. The total number of coal mines opening each year has fallen to its lowest point in at least a decade. The total number of operating coal mines has hit its lowest point on record, according to the Energy Information Administration, which has records back to 1923. At the beginning of the Obama administration, over half the Nation's electricity came from coal. That number is down to 38 percent as of 2014. Now remember, coal is the most efficient, the cheapest source of electricity generation and creates a baseload capacity that is very critical to keep the lights on. If you lose the baseload generation and you rely on renewables, you really do risk keeping the lights on, and you assure the Nation of higher costs of electricity. So that is the war on coal, and that is kind of where we are right now with the administration. So what has been the response on the floor of the House? What have we done? Well, fortunately, yesterday we took a parliamentary procedure and a process called the Congressional Review Act to address the ability of the administration to try to promulgate regulations without the authority of Congress.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 611) to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize technical assistance to small public water systems, and for other purposes.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, the State of Mississippi has led in this legislation from our former colleague, now-Senator Roger Wicker. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Harper), the author on the House side of the committee.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a few minutes to explain why we are pushing this bill and what the bill does. The smallest water systems of our country account for 77 percent of all systems. These smaller and rural communities, with populations of 10,000 or less, have a high percentage of systems in significant noncompliance with drinking water regulations and face significant challenges in maintaining, replacing, or upgrading aging and obsolete drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. A major source of financial stress for small and rural drinking water supply systems is compliance with a number of drinking water regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Unlike water systems in larger markets, these same small and rural communities do not have the rate base or access to capital markets to fund the cost of some projects and still maintain affordable rates. As a result, these communities depend heavily on Federal and State grants and subsidized loan programs to finance their needs. Many times, simply giving them more money is not the answer. These communities may need access to technical professionals to help find the most cost-effective way to meet these new standards. Technical assistance offered by EPA has historically enabled small public water systems to identify affordable repair and replacement options for their systems. Currently, section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act provides EPA authority to provide technical assistance to ``small public water systems'' to enable these systems to achieve and maintain compliance with applicable Federal drinking water regulations and to help small public water systems respond to environmental stressors, including through ``circuit-rider'' and multi-State regional technical assistance programs, training, and preliminary engineering evaluations. S. 611 reauthorizes EPA's technical assistance program through 2020 for small public water systems, maintaining the existing funding level of $15 million annually, including 3 percent for technical assistance to public water systems owned and operated by Indian tribes. In addition, S. 611 authorizes EPA funding under section 1442 of the Safe Drinking Water Act. This funding is used to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance to small public water systems. This technical assistance will help these systems achieve and maintain compliance with national primary drinking water regulations. These grants or cooperative agreements are supposed to go to nonprofits with a history of providing certain types of on-site technical assistance and training, and EPA should give preference to those nonprofits that the Administrator determines are most qualified and experienced in providing training and technical assistance to small public water systems that small public water systems find most beneficial and effective. Finally, S. 611 prohibits these grants and cooperative agreements from being used to bring a citizen suit under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Senate passed this bill by unanimous consent. The Energy and Commerce Committee reported it by voice vote. Our strong vote today sends this bill right to the White House and, I expect, into law. I urge all Members to support S. 611. And I want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Tonko, and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Harper), my colleague, for their diligence in pushing this legislation forward. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, there is a lot to be done on infrastructure, and safe drinking water is among those important things. My district is very large and rural, with 33 counties in southern Illinois. This bill will help. We need to do what we can now, and hopefully this success, as my colleague Mr. Tonko has said, will help us build on future areas where we can work together. Mr. Tonko will continue to be a rabid dog on this issue, and I appreciate his commitment for further discussions. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Collinsville Memorial Public Library on their 100th anniversary of service to our community. On October 15th, 1915, Mrs. John Bruso, the president of the Collinsville Study Club, now the Women's Club, tasked Mrs. Charles Holding, Mrs. Charles Listeman, and Mrs. AC Powel with establishing a Library for the city of Collinsville. Less than a year later, the library opened on the second floor of city hall. One hundred and twenty-one volumes were donated for public use. Since opening, the library has seen many moves and structural modifications, as well as the addition of the Collinsville Historical Museum. I am proud to say the library also serves as a memorial. On November 30th, 1938, a tablet was dedicated to fifteen Americans who heroically gave their lives in World War I, and exactly ten years later another tablet was dedicated to fifty soldiers who defended our freedom in World War II. I am proud of the history the Collinsville Memorial Public Library has in our community, and I'm excited to see what it will bring to our future generations.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, October 10th is the national day of the Republic of China (Taiwan). This day commemorates the launch of the Wuchang Uprising of 1911, which in turn led to the establishment of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on January 1, 1912. As the United States and Taiwan share a close relationship, I would like to take this opportunity to wish the people of Taiwan a very Happy Double Ten Day. The relationship between the United States and Taiwan is both deep and longstanding, and encompass areas including security, culture, and trade. Taiwan is the 10th largest trading partner for the U.S., while the U.S. is Taiwan's largest foreign investor. In 2014, 24% of Taiwan's total agricultural imports came from the U.S. Since 1993, Taiwan has been the 7th largest overseas market for U.S. agricultural exports. In 2014, Taiwan imported nearly $3.5 billion of U.S. agricultural products, up 10 percent from the previous year, making Taiwan one of the world's largest consumers for U.S. agricultural products on a per capita basis. I am pleased that the 2015 Taiwan Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission just completed a successful visit to the United States including my home state of Illinois. Taiwan also has proven its leadership in the global arena through its commitment to democracy, by contributing to international development and humanitarian missions, and through bold diplomatic initiatives such as President Ma's East China Sea Peace Initiative and his South China Sea Peace Initiative, which seek to reduce tensions in those disputed waters. As a result of these efforts, a challenging world is in many ways a better place. I offer my thanks to Taiwan for their commitment democracy and stability in Asia and my best wishes to their people they observe and celebrate Double Ten Day.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. I thank my colleague. I don't have much to add. We are glad to have Darin here as a new Member of the 114th Congress. Obviously, he is joined by his dad. Also who we had hoped was going to be here--but I know he is watching--is former Minority Leader Bob Michel, who is really part of the LaHood clan, and we think of him as we swear in Darin. Darin has already hit the ground running, and I can speak for all my colleagues here, Darin, that we will do all we can to help you be successful.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to now welcome the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).