John Shimkus

Mr. SHIMKUS

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

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chair, if this amendment were limited to the 18 per- and polyfluorinated compounds that EPA knows about and has rendered a judgment on, we would be having a different debate. Formulations like PFOA and PFOS, for example, have been studied and have already been taken out of commercial use. But this amendment, like others we will be debating, emotionally and politically requires severe action on an entire class of chemicals, maybe as many as 5,000 substances. It does so without due diligence and scientific inquiry. Nobody denies that there are real concerns and frustration in communities affected by PFAS contamination. My colleague has raised those concerns, and we certainly want to help those communities, especially those that host our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. The use of firefighting foam in those areas has caused PFAS to enter into ditches and canals and seep into groundwater formations. But while we can and should take action to limit or even prohibit uncontrolled releases of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, we can't lose sight of why this foam is used in the first place. If you or your loved one are on a nuclear submarine that is carrying nuclear weapons under the Arctic icecap or involved in a fiery aircraft accident on the runway, you want the best firefighting foam available, not the second best. The concern of these communities needs to be addressed, but this is not what is happening in this process. Many of the compounds targeted by these amendments are parts of manufactured goods that when disposed of are not soluble in water. Let me highlight a couple that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to be inserted into the human body as medical devices. Yes, lifesaving PFAS-related chemicals have been approved by the FDA. They are in medical devices and have been approved to be inserted into the body. Mr. Chair, to the ranking member and to the chairman, the reason for the importance of going through regular order in the committee process is because we understand the chemicals. We deal with healthcare. As far as lifesaving equipment, we are going to go through a couple of those. Many recognize what a stent is. This stent is there to open up arteries, and it saves lives and allows people to live a normal lifestyle. This is one that was brought into my office a couple of weeks ago. Many more children than we would ever guess are born with holes in their heart. It is tough, but modern medicine and technology have allowed these children to lead and live normal lives. How? Well, there is a medical device that is part of these 5,000 compounds of the PFAS community that saves these children's lives and allows the heart to repair itself, and they go on to live a normal life. This is a National Defense Authorization bill, not a healthcare bill, not a chemical, science, EPA bill. So let's look at national defense. Here is the F-16, with all the components that have per- or poly- fluorinated compounds as part of the F-16 platform. Do we really want to essentially ban all these parts that would eventually go into some landfill, and they are not soluble, and create a Superfund situation for the landfill into which they go? We have heard a lot from municipal landfills that are disposing of legal nonsoluble items in regulated landfills. Do we really want to place farm land under the Superfund designation because a farmer used wastewater treatment sludge as a fertilizer? That is why we must do our due diligence and go through regular order through the committee of jurisdiction. I serve as the ranking member on the Committee on Environment and Climate Change. It is our duty to have oversight over the USEPA; it is our duty to protect our communities; and it is our responsibility not to overreact. Chairman Tonko and I are actively engaged on this issue. As I have raised this, it is very complicated, but it is not impossible. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject these shortcuts and allow the committee process to work. That is the only way we can hope to address PFAS concerns without the significant unintended consequences this and these other amendments would create. Please vote against the amendment. Please allow bipartisan discussions to continue. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chair, I want to start talking about science and jurisdiction and why it is important to go through regular order. We just heard my colleagues talk about PFAS or PFOS or PFOA, three different things that mean three different things. What my colleagues have done is lumped them all into one category. If you eliminate one class of chemicals, you take the F-16 and you ground it. You have got Ethernet cables, fiber channel assemblies, round cable assemblies, shielded twisted pair, EMI. This is a National Defense Authorization bill, and the Rules Committee has allowed an amendment on the National Defense Authorization bill that would ground the F-16s without doing due justice to science and the committees of jurisdiction. There are a couple of other problems with the en bloc amendment. Again, this amendment requires action on all PFAS, all of it. There may be 3,000 to 5,000 different permutations of this chemical. All these substances are not alike. Also, EPA has said it knows little of the PFAS class and only has a valid tool to really identify 18 out of the 3,000 to 5,000 formulations. If EPA can only identify right now 18, how do you identify 1,500 permutations of this chemical? Second, the amendment skirts scientific risk criteria and dismisses expert administration review, especially the provisions banning PFAS in MREs--we heard that--and containers. According to the Food and Drug Administration, I mentioned this earlier on another amendment, this would ban substances used in assembling and packaging, which there is no known safety concern. The FDA approves packaging for food, but we are going to ban packaging for food when it is the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration, which is not the jurisdiction of HASC. Third, as drafted, these amendments could create confusion, overreach, and mismatched responsibility among Federal partners. The PFAS ban and the MRE language requires the Defense Logistics Agency to implement it, but MREs are sold at commercial grocery stores. So are we going to have the Defense Logistics Agency police PFAS MRE packaging in the local Piggly Wiggly or Walmart or other guns and knives stores? The incineration provisions require the Secretary of Defense to administer and enforce requirements on incineration of items.

Mr. SHIMKUS. So we have been attacking the administration of the Department of Defense saying they can't do their job, they don't meet the IG standards, and now we are going to put them in control of air emissions and clean air standards. That is what this does when you allow amendments to a bill that are not germane to the underlying committee. Last, provisions require the U.S. Geological Survey to come up with PFAS detection performance standards, instituting a nationalized sampling program at PFAS-contaminated sites and own the results. Yet the Environmental Protection Agency, which only has a minor ability to consult role, has statutory responsibility for cleanup sites. USGS will be messing around with and will be dependent upon the USGS to obtain its data. So it is the EPA that is responsible for cleanup, but we are going to give the U.S. Geological Survey the responsibility. Many of these amendments are not germane to the defense authorization or have received process to ensure they don't create problems. Quality work in these areas would have followed regular order. Americans deserve that we are as careful doing our jobs as they are doing theirs. We mentioned this in the other amendment. I am working with Chairman Tonko to address perfluorinated compounds. It is a very difficult issue. We have experts in the majority; we have experts in the minority that deal with chemicals. This is not the place to do it, and I would ask people to vote against the amendment en bloc.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the American Legion of Breese, IL, which is celebrating its 100th year anniversary this month. The American Legion was commissioned by Congress as a patriotic veteran's organization. This not-for-profit organization became the nation's largest wartime veteran's service organization. The American Legion is dedicated to mentoring our youth, advocating patriotism with honor and promoting strong national security to continue their dedication to their fellow veterans. In recognition of a 100 years of faithful service, the Breese American Legion is hosting a picnic on July 20th at 3 p.m., to celebrate with their community. Guests will enjoy great music, delicious food, games for all ages, a petting zoo, and much more. All the proceeds will be put towards benefitting community scholarships, schools, youth programs, and veterans. It is an honor to extend my well wishes and profound congratulations to the current officers--Commander Jeff Jung, Auxiliary Rep. Julie Tebd, Sons of the American Legion Rep. Mike Haag--and many others who have upheld and played major roles to continue the success of this organization. Madam Speaker, over the past 100 years, the Breese American Legion have supported and uplifted their communities through their many charitable programs. It is an honor to recognize this organization as it celebrates 100 momentous years of service. I am excited to see how it will continue to grow and wish it all the best in the future.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to note the passing of a most remarkable man. Julius W. Hegeler II of Danville, Illinois died July 5, 2019 at the age of 91. To say that Mr. Hegeler led an impactful life would be to gloss over the thousands who benefitted from his caring nature, his generosity of spirit, and his humanity. Few people are in a position to make such a positive impact, and even fewer take the opportunity. Mr. Hegeler will forever be remembered for having seized his opportunity with such an outsized desire to help that he never turned anyone away. A lifelong resident of Danville, Julius graduated from Danville High School and went on to earn a business degree before enlisting in the Air Force. He flew 70 missions as a jet pilot during the Korean War, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in May 1954 for ``extraordinary achievement,'' and earned the Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster as well. Returning from the war, Julius and others built a chemical packaging company that he later sold. His fortune made, in 1992 he placed 90 percent of his wealth into the Julius W. Hegeler II Foundation and set out to give back to the community that he loved. Julius was especially concerned with helping those with disabilities and gave generously to local organizations such as Danville AMBUCS and WorkSource Enterprises. There were no limits to causes he would support, however, as the arts, education, recreation, community, and youth-focused groups and organizations have all benefited from Julius's assistance. Danville has lost one of its very best, a man who shunned the limelight but who nonetheless made so many lives brighter and richer. It has been my privilege to spend time with Julius Hegeler, and those memories I will always hold dear. Madam Speaker, I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to the family of Julius W. Hegeler II on the loss of this truly remarkable individual, and I wish the family the best during this very trying time.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge St. Paul Blue Point Lutheran Church for its 150th year as a congregation. Built on October 31, 1869 in Altamont, IL, the church became a place of peace and fellowship for all attendees. To celebrate this historic occasion, the church held honorary services dedicated to the anniversary on Sunday, June 2. Keynote speakers of the event included Rev. Mark Witte and Rev. David Witte, both of whom are direct descendants from the church's founders. At present, eleven families are of direct descent of the original 31 founders and are still active amongst the congregation. I extend my well wishes to the current officers--Rev. David Speers, Todd Wachtel, Corey Guy, Alex Wendling, Doug Kopplin, Doug Hammer and many others who have played a major role in spearheading this event. Madam Speaker, the St. Paul Blue Point Lutheran Church and the entire congregation should be very proud of their continuing commitment and service over the past 150 years. I am excited to see how the church will continue to grow and make an impact in the years to come.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Goreville High School girls' softball team on winning the 2019 Illinois Class 1A championship. Goreville overcame the Glasford Illini Bluffs by a score of 4-2 in seven innings. This win marked the season with a 29-9 overall record for the Blackcats. The team's overall tenacity and determination were observed through the commanding victories during postseason action. Throughout all of the postseason bracket games, the lady Blackcats scored over 70 runs as a team, causing many games to end early due to the run rule. This is Goreville's second state championship title in three years. Head Coach Shanna Green conditioned the team with a spirit of competition and passion of working for one another. In the championship game, the Blackcats only committed one error and batted an impressive .346 as a team. It is an honor for me to extend my profound congratulations to the entire team which includes Abigail King, Kelsey Ray, Miley Kwiatkowski, Emma Vaughn, Kyleigh Massey, Ellie Grammer, Cheyenne Walker, Chloe Wolaver, Alexandria King, Adrianna Licka, Destani Bennett, Samantha Licka, and Payton Sopczak. Madam Speaker, the athletes, coaching staff, and the community should be proud of their accomplishments. I wish the graduating seniors the best in their future endeavors and best of luck to those returning for a chance of a third state title in four years.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Vandalia, Illinois, which is celebrating its bicentennial this year. Located in Fayette County, Vandalia was the state's first capital city. Situated on the Kaskaskia River, the Illinois General Assembly first met in Vandalia in December 1820. At the time, the state treasurer transacted business at his home, while the auditor and secretary of state worked in the brick building that housed the state bank. The first capitol building was destroyed by fire in 1823 and a second capitol building was built in haste the following summer. Two years later people refused to enter the building for fear it would collapse, and so a third capitol building was constructed, which is the one that stands today. Abraham Lincoln began his political career in Vandalia in 1834, and five years later the Illinois General Assembly met for the last time in the Vandalia Statehouse. In one of its final acts, the legislature deeded the building to Fayette County and the town of Vandalia. The State of Illinois purchased the old statehouse and public square in 1918 to ensure its preservation for future generations, and in the decades following carried out a major effort to restore the building to its Lincoln-era appearance. Madam Speaker, with four days of activities planned, the celebration promises to highlight the city's rich history. It is an honor to recognize the City of Vandalia as it celebrates its bicentennial, and I wish it all the best for the future.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Teutopolis High School baseball team on winning the 2019 Illinois Class 2A championship. Teutopolis defeated Pleasant Plains 12-6 for the title, capping a 28-8-1 season for the Wooden Shoes. The team's dedication and hard work were evident again, as the Wooden Shoes advanced to the state championship game for the third straight season and added a second title to the one captured in 2017. Head Coach Justin Fleener formed a team with both high production in the batter's box and resilient defense in the field. I extend my sincere congratulations to the entire team: Mitch Hemmen, Mitch Hardiek, Brady McMahon, Trenton Schwerdt, Tyler Runde, Andy Niebrugge, Justin Hardiek, Derek Deters, Evan Addis, Hayden Ruholl, Dawson Smith, Evan Wermert, Brock Deters, Matt Deters, Clint Weber, Brayden Will, Luke Ungrund, and Dylan Overbeck. Madam Speaker, the players, coaches, and the entire community of Teutopolis should be very proud of their accomplishments. I wish the graduating seniors the best in their future ventures and good luck to those who will return for a chance to make it back-to-back championships next season.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Benjamin Mills Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. During the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Mills served as a private and then as a 2nd lieutenant in the Maryland troops. His wife, Elizabeth, was also a patriot, having sewn shirts for the soldiers. After the war, the Mills family left Maryland to live in Pennsylvania. The family moved west, settling in Paris, Kentucky where Benjamin, Sr. died in 1822. Son Andrew and his family then migrated to Illinois in 1827 and settled in the southern part of Bond County, where hundreds of their descendants still populate the area. On June 16, 2019, the Benjamin Mills Chapter, in coordination with the Illinois State Regent, Gloria Perkins Flathom, will dedicate two official NSDAR plaques in honor of Camp Ground Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Old Camp Ground Cemetery. The Old Camp Ground Cemetery was established around 1830. Buried there are Revolutionary War soldier Joseph McAdams, Mary Trotter Mills, daughter of Revolutionary War soldier Joseph Trotter, as well as veterans from the following conflicts: 1812, Black Hawk, Indian, Mexican, Civil, Spanish, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. The Camp Ground Cumberland Presbyterian Church began as a revival meeting of local families, and eventually led to the founding of the church at the site circa 1826. The original church building held worship services furnished with only the bare necessities, a dirt floor and a pulpit. Madam Speaker, it is an honor to recognize the Benjamin Mills Chapter of the NSDAR as it dedicates these two plaques. The Chapter has been active in the Bond County area for over 100 years, and I wish it the best as it embarks on the next 100 years of promoting the Daughters of the American Revolution motto: God, Home, and Country.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to include in the Record part two of an article I submitted earlier this year by Keith J. Hamel honoring the 150th Anniversary of the West Point Association of Graduates: ``At the turn of the 20th century, the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy had been in existence for more than three decades. It began on May 22, 1869, when 15 graduates, acting upon an idea from Robert Anderson, Class of 1825, met in the office of Dr. Horace Webster, Class of 1818, and adopted articles and bylaws for the new organization. Article II of the Association's Constitution stated: ``The object of this Association shall be to cherish the memories of the Military Academy at West Point, and to promote the social intercourse and fraternal fellowship of its graduates.'' According to Charles P. Echols, Class of 1891, the early years of the Association were dedicated to ``little more than holding an annual meeting at West Point, collecting dues, and publishing an annual bulletin.'' Echols was generalizing, of course--in its early years, the Association moved Sylvanus Thayer's remains to the West Point Cemetery and memorialized him with a statue, and it built a memorial hall at West Point with funds left by George Cullum in his will--but in the first stage of its existence, the Association was hardly recognizable as the organization it would later become. That began to change during the Association of Graduates' second stage of evolution (1901-45), as changes to AOG's mission, governance, and operations signaled its desire to become more like a ``modern'' alumni association. One year into that second stage, the membership of the Association was celebrated by President Theodore Roosevelt, who attended West Point's Centennial Exercises and said during his June 11, 1902 speech, ``During [its first 100 years] no other educational institution in the land has contributed so many names as West Point has contributed to the honor roll of the nation's greatest citizens . . . The average graduate of West Point during these hundred years has given a greater sum of service to the country through his life than has the average graduate of any other institution in this broad land.'' A year earlier, almost as if in anticipation of Roosevelt's remarks, the Association's 1901 Annual Reunion included an ``Index to Obituaries (1870- 1900),'' which contained 953 names of the president's ``honor roll'' and information on how to find biographies detailing each's ``sum of service to the country.'' Also, with 1902 being the Centennial of West Point, some 350 members of the Long Gray Line were present to personally hear Roosevelt's tribute, more than triple the attendance of the previous highest annual meeting attendance (109 in 1883). During the Centennial Exercises, they also witnessed Lieutenant General John M. Schofield, Class of 1853 (Retired) and President of the Association, unveil a tablet commemorating the Academy's first century of existence. ``Let us all pledge ourselves to our country, that the best efforts of our lives shall be to make the record of the second century even more memorable than that of the first,'' Schofield said in his brief remarks. Despite the excitement and vigor inspired by West Point's Centennial Exercises, the Association of Graduates returned to a more typical level of attendance in 1903, with only 20 graduates attending the annual meeting. Lack of participation became one of two main concerns of the Association in the new century. During the 1905 annual meeting, Alexander Webb, Class of 1855, proposed a resolution to form a committee to study the attendance issue and to offer a solution. Webb's classmate Charles Larned was appointed chairman. He reportedly addressed the matter at the 1906 meeting, but no records of his report exist. A few years later, however, Robert Howze, Class of 1888, who was a member of Larned's ``Committee on Entertainment,'' suggested that interest could be added to the annual meeting if the Superintendent would designate one day during the graduating week as ``Graduates' Day,'' and that ``some specially interesting features be added to this day's exercises.'' Howze's idea was enthusiastically received and unanimously adopted, but it took 15 years before it came to fruition under a new name. The second main concern of the Association centered on a gift that graduates could present to the Academy. In 1907, John Carson, Class of 1855, suggested that the Association raise funds for an organ for the new Cadet Chapel, for which the Academy had just broken ground a year earlier. At the same annual meeting, a proposal was made to purchase bronze doors for Thayer Hall (then the name of the ballroom in Cullum Hall), but it was rejected given that plans were already underway to change the room, making such doors obsolete. The gift matter went to committee, and the following year its members recommended a memorial window for the new Cadet Chapel to be built over the altar. By 1909, one year before the Cadet Chapel was completed, the Association had raised $1,564 for the ``Memorial Window Fund.'' Eight glass companies submitted competitive designs for the project, and on October 17, 1909 a jury of committee and advisory members settled on two designs, which went head-to- head in a second competition in February 1910. The contract for the memorial window, at an amount of $8,000, was ultimately awarded to the Willett Stained Glass and Decorating Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Soon after, Bertram Goodhue, the architect of the Cadet Chapel, wrote a letter to the Association stating, ``I think there is no doubt but that you will have . . . the most wonderful window of modern times and one of the finest in the world.'' At the conclusion of the 1911 annual meeting, which was held in the new Cadet Chapel, Horace Porter, Class of 1860, presented the memorial window to the Academy on behalf of the living alumni, approximately 140 of whom were present to see Major General Thomas Barry, Class of 1877, the 27th Superintendent of USMA, accept the Association's gift. In addition to noting the increased number of graduates attending the 42nd annual meeting, the 1911 Annual Reunion was the first to highlight classes holding their own reunions at West Point, citing those of 1886, 1891, 1896, and 1901. Two years later, all five living members of the Class of 1863 returned to their Rockbound Highland Home to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation. According to the 1913 Annual Reunion, ``Everything possible was done to make it pleasant for the visiting graduates by the Superintendent, the Quartermaster and the officers detailed to meet the trains and have charge of rooms in Cullum and Cadet Barracks.'' In a letter submitted to the 1913 Executive Committee, Francis Hills, Class of 1866, went even further, extending his personal appreciation to Colonel Clarence Townsley, Class of 1881, the 28th Superintendent of USMA, for making all graduates ``feel that they are warmly welcomed to their old home.'' In the wake of these warm sentiments, Gustav Fiebeger, Class of 1879 and a member of the Executive Committee, announced a plan at the 1915 annual meeting for classes to purchase one panel each for the remaining windows of the new Cadet Chapel. According to George Pappas, Class of 1944, the next morning, representatives from the Class of 1875 presented the Association with a check for $250, making it the first class to place a window in the Chapel. Within two years, more than 20 classes sponsored windows. ``The Stained Glass Window'' project became the forerunner of Class Giving at the Association of Graduates, with each graduating class, 1802 through 1976, purchasing a panel and filling all the available space (windows in memory of earlier classes were sponsored by classes graduating 100 years later). The new Cadet Chapel inspired even more giving: Arthur Gerhard donated a baptismal font in memory of his father, William Gerhard, Class of 1869; and the Class of 1885 initiated an effort to purchase a full set of chimes on behalf of the Association. Furthermore, the enthusiasm for the Academy at this time could not be contained to just the annual meeting at West Point. In 1915, more than 100 graduates dined together in Honolulu, Hawaii, sending ``felicitations to those gathered at West Point''; and, in 1916, graduates held large dinners in Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Manila to celebrate the anniversary of the Academy's founding. Unfortunately, World War I put a halt on the momentum that had been building for the Association and Long Gray Line during this time. There was no annual meeting in 1917, and the next major milestone of AOG history did not occur until 1922, despite the Association celebrating its 50th anniversary in 1919 (although it did present the chimes to the Cadet Chapel at its annual meeting that year). At the 1922 meeting, William Dykman, Class of 1875, who was elected President of the Association in 1920, introduced several amendments to AOG's Constitution. First, he proposed ``to amplify the statement of the object of the Association.'' This amendment added the phrase ``to promote its [the Military Academy at West Point] welfare and that of its graduates'' to Article II of the Constitution, which is the predecessor of the West Point Association of Graduate's current mission: ``To serve West Point and the Long Gray Line.'' Dykman also suggested revisions to AOG's governance: recommending a Vice President, increasing the Executive Committee from 10 to 30 members (to be appointed by the President), and transferring the appointment of AOG Secretary and Treasurer from the presiding officer at the annual meeting to the President. Dykman's amendments were universally adopted, putting AOG on the path to developing the Board of Trustees governing model that would it later employ throughout the remainder of the century. Dykman's arguably finest contribution to the Association occurred two years earlier, although it took some time to become manifest. In 1920, after he had been elected President, Dykman sought to influence members of graduating classes to join the Association and introduced the idea of associate membership to AOG. In the 1921 Annual Report, Dykman reported that all 17 members of the Class of 1921 (the ``Orioles'') became members. The same was true for the Class of 1922, ``nearly all as life members,'' and more than 80 percent of graduates from successive classes throughout the 1920s joined. According to Dykman's obituary in the 1938 Annual Report, ``This infusion of younger members into the Association of Graduates, for which he was largely responsible, gave the Association new life and new objectives.'' One of those new objectives was ``Alumni Day'' (modeled on ``Graduates' Day,'' proposed 15 years earlier), which was first held on June 11, 1923 and included a wreath-laying ceremony at Thayer Statue, a tradition that continues to this day. From 1925 to 1928, Dykman served as AOG Vice President (the post he recommended three years prior) and then as Chairman of the Board of Trustees until 1935. In 1926, his idea for associate membership was finally approved, allowing those who completed initial summer training and stayed at the Academy long enough to take their first semester's exams to join the AOG. This expansion of membership provided a temporary spike in the Association's revenue (a nearly 45 percent increase in membership fees and annual dues), but a 1927 report by the Finance Committee (of which Dykman was a senior member) showed the need to establish an income stream beyond dues to support the Association. As a result, provisions were made for the establishment of an Endowment Fund, the annual income from which would provide necessary operating funds for the Association in perpetuity. Statements in the report such as, ``If this Association is to fulfill its natural and proper mission and give that measure of support and assistance to the Military Academy which other Colleges and Universities receive from their graduates, it must have an assured income,'' seem to come straight from Dykman, who was a respected New York City lawyer and director of four powerful companies of the day. Returning to his obituary, ``[His] great contribution to the Military Academy and to the Association of Graduates was giving to it a re-birth of interest and imbuing its members with a feeling of respect for the power of the Association in doing many things for West Point which the Academy and the War Department authorities could not well do.'' During its ``re-birth,'' the Association of Graduates gave life to new projects and grew in its duties. The ``Forward'' to the 1929 Annual Report called attention to some of these changes. It stated, ``This issue . . . represents the beginning of an effort upon the part of your Officers and Trustees to present it in a somewhat improved and more attractive form . . . new matter has been introduced, and long lists containing names and addresses of members have been omitted . . . the work of the work of the Association is an event of the first importance, and promises much towards the increased usefulness of the Association in the future.'' The Association was moving toward what Alexander Piper, Class of 1889 and AOG President (1934-36), later called, ``. . . more life and less morgue.'' There was even discussion during this time to ``kill'' publication of graduates' obituaries in the annual report, which comprised approximately 75 percent of each issue, but members ultimately felt this would violate the original mission of the Association: ``. . . to cherish the memories of our Alma Mater,'' particularly through its graduates. In 1930, the Association renewed the publication of the AOG Bulletin, a ``mid-year pamphlet'' designed to keep members ``informed of current matters of interest during the long interval between the publication of [AOG's] annual reports.'' There were four Bulletins issued between December 1900 and April 1905, but then publication mysteriously ceased. One plausible reason is that the earlier Bulletin was published by ``U.S.M.A. Press, West Point, N.Y.'' AOG balance sheets of this period only show expenses for publishing the annual report, which used Seemann & Peters, Printers and Binders of Saginaw, Michigan. AOG was able to revive the Bulletin thanks to the support it received from the June 1929 establishment of an Association office at the Academy, manned by an active duty officer who served ``in the capacity of Secretary and Treasurer of the Association of Graduates and as the Officer in Charge of Cullum's Register.'' AOG published four Bulletins between 1930 and 1934. As before, the reason why publication stopped remains a mystery, although its design seemed to influence the annual report, which started publishing reunion summaries in 1935. The Bulletin reappeared one more time in 1941, brought back to inform ``Association members of matters of current West Point interest, particularly since the Military Academy curriculum, always in step with the times, so well meets the demands of the present national emergency.'' The format of this last issue had radically changed from its predecessors. Instead of long treatises regarding ``The Indebtedness of the United States to the Military Academy'' or ``Arthur Sherburne Hardy's Opinion of the West Point Educational System,'' Bulletin No. 9 was written in news sheet style and contained brief reports about current happenings at the Academy (e.g., ``First Class Attends Maneuvers,'' ``Branch Instruction,'' ``Skeet Club,'' reports from academic departments, etc.). A year later in 1942, AOG's Bulletin and the annual report, which had existed for 72 years, merged to form the first issue of Assembly magazine, the periodical publication that would inform graduates for the next 70 years. Innovations to keep AOG relevant to graduates were not only confined to its communication efforts. The final part of the Association's re-birth involved changes to its governance, which were done to make the organization more transparent and accountable to its membership. After accepting Dykman's proposed changes in the early 1920s, AOG elected a President and Vice-President at each annual meeting. The President then appointed an Executive Committee of 30 members, as well as an additional member to serve as Chairman. The Executive Committee made all preparations for the annual meeting, including nominating candidates for the President and Vice President positions, and audited the accounts of the Treasurer. Starting in 1929, the number of Vice Presidents of AOG was increased to five and the Executive Committee became known as the Board of Trustees. Furthermore, the Trustees appointed for that year were equally divided into three classes: one appointed for one year, one appointed for two years, and one appointed for three years. In each successive year, another group of 10 grads were appointed to the Board of Trustees to serve for a term of three years. Then, in 1935, Piper, President at that time, proposed the formation of another body labeled the ``Executive Committee.'' This committee, which consisted of the President and four Trustees (chosen by ballot of the Board), would ``possess and exercise by a majority of its members all the powers and duties of the Board of Trustees,'' when it was not in session. Unfortunately, a year later, learned that the election of this Executive Committee was illegitimate, as it was voted on by proxy, which was a practice prohibited by New York State according to the Association's certificate of incorporation. In correcting this oversight, the Board agreed to sweeping changes in AOG's Constitution and governance. First, Article III, paragraph 2, was amended so that Association members now directly elected Board of Trustee members instead of the President appointing them. Then, paragraph 5 of that Article eliminated the Chairman of the Board position, stating, ``He is not necessary and seldom has any knowledge of the operating affairs of the Association.'' Finally, the By-Laws were amended to eliminate excess Trustees (i.e., the President, the five Vice Presidents, and the USMA Superintendent) and prescribe the duties of the Board, Treasurer, and Secretary. This governance model continued, with some minor tweaks (e.g., increase the size of the Board in 1956 and adding an Executive Vice President in 1972), for the next six decades. After addressing its governance issues, AOG turned its attention to the recurring question of how to fund its operations. While the Endowment Fund started out strong-- Bulletin No. 5 (1930) reported cash and pledge contributions amounting to nearly $55,500 of its $100,000 goal--the Great Depression obviously took its toll. By the mid-1930s, the Association was still approximately $25,000 short of the goal, and the fund's $2,700 yearly interest was not enough to cover AOG's annual expenses ($5,600-$6,000). Although roughly 70 graduates a year were being dropped from the Association's member roll during the height of the Depression for non- payment of annual dues, the Army Athletic Association, which also accepted support from graduates, was able to remain on solid financial footing. Piper was dismayed by this situation, and other AOG leaders called on younger graduates for support (contributions generally came from classes prior to 1930). It took a few more years, but in 1941, Frank McCoy, Class of 1897 and AOG President, reported, ``Our funds have now reached sound, healthy proportions,'' with income exceeding expenditures the preceding year by nearly $8,000. The Association of Graduates entered the World War II era beginning to look like the organization with which many are familiar today. It had started to financially support the Academy, first with the windows in the Cadet Chapel and then in 1939 with furniture for Quarters 100 (the ``Superintendent's Quarters Fund''); it had an effective governance model in which all operational decisions were made by the President and the Executive Committee, who were accountable to the membership, and then carried out by a small staff; and it had replaced the 350-plus-page annual report with the more engaging, less than 50-page ASSEMBLY magazine, published quarterly. The state of the Association was strong enough that in 1942 the Board debated the idea of lowering or eliminating dues. The proposal failed, but it signaled AOG leadership's desire to remove the burden of operating support coming primarily from membership dues. Looking to find a new income stream, the West Point Alumni Foundation was established on December 26, 1945 to solicit advertising for ASSEMBLY and an annual (instead of decennial) Register of Graduates. The foundation's incorporation marks the transition from AOG's second stage of history to its third phase of ``Foundation and Fundraising'' (1946-94), where the Association's fundraising efforts for the Academy increased in importance, and its growth culminated with the opening of its new home, the Herbert Alumni Center. This phase in AOG history will be covered in the summer issue of West Point magazine.''

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I do not oppose this amendment.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chair, the chairman of the full committee is correct. We appreciate his help and support in working through these technical corrections. We don't oppose them, and with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

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

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I believe I have the right to close.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, it is great being on the floor with a lot of my friends on the Energy and Commerce Committee and my colleagues across the aisle. Obviously, we have a fundamental disagreement. I know, in southern Illinois, one of the biggest questions I always got and concerns was that ObamaCare plans are too expensive, and the deductibles are too high, so we can't use them. Hence, no one wanted to use them. Part of the change in the political landscape because of that was Republicans controlled the House. That is what happened politically. Here we are, and my colleagues and I have belabored this point all day, Mr. Chairman, about what we are trying to do. We are trying to lower the cost of prescription drugs, but we have to go back to this ObamaCare debate. Republicans control the Senate. They are not going to bring it up. The President is not going to sign the bill. It is instructional to have this debate. We understand it. We will eventually come back, and we will address these prescription drug bills. We will get there, but we have to go through this exercise. I understand that. The three bills that we could vote on and pass right now, probably on a suspension calendar and a voice vote, would be the three prescription drug bills that are part of this package. Those are the CREATES Act, the Protecting Consumers' Access to Generic Drugs Act, and the Bringing Low-cost Options and Competition while Keeping Incentives for New Generics Act, called the BLOCKING Act. That is what we could be doing today, that and some other things. We hope that what we will be addressing will make major changes in affordability, transparency, and the like. My colleagues also point out the numerous votes to repeal or replace parts of ObamaCare. I am proud to say I voted for all of them. The facts state that a lot of Democrats supported these, to fundamentally change provisions of ObamaCare. In fact, 30 of the bills my friends are citing were signed into law. Twenty-one of those bills were signed into law by President Obama. Of the 30 that were signed into law, Speaker Pelosi voted ``yes'' on 19 of them. These are part of the 60 bills that would repeal and replace, and we have 21, and 19 were voted for by Speaker Pelosi. Leader Hoyer voted ``yes'' on 21 of them. My friend Chairman Pallone voted on 20 of them. Here are the examples that we want to lay out: repealing the unworkable and unsustainable CLASS Act, rescinding billions of dollars for the failed ObamaCare co-op program, delaying the Cadillac tax and medical device tax, cutting funding to the Independent Payment Advisory Board, providing regulatory and financial relief from ObamaCare's requirements for small business and independent contractors, requiring accurate income verification before disbursing subsidies to ObamaCare exchanges, and modifying eligibility for ObamaCare exchange subsidies. We can have this tit for tat, Mr. Chairman, and they will still want to defend ObamaCare. We will always say that the private market is better to provide lower cost and rapid response. It is an ideological fight. We will get through this debate. We will eventually come back and address these prescription drug issues that, as I mentioned, Mr. Chairman, we probably would pass on a voice vote once we return to this. I thank my colleagues. I have great respect for my colleague from Vermont. He is a very sincere and good friend. We look forward to debating this more in the future. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

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

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, it is hard to sell a lemon, no matter how much you give in advertising. That is kind of the basis of our opposition to this amendment. Mr. Chair, as you heard me say in the last debate, in my congressional district, people didn't want to be forced to buy something that was too high, that was unaffordable, that the deductibles were too high, and that we in Washington mandated that they have to buy. Now we see a period where, in essence, people have a few more choices because of the waiver system, the 1332s. We see people flocking away from ObamaCare plans to 1332 waivers within the States, which we think is a good deal. Part of the debate on this is: Let's pump more money in and maybe these people will stay in these failed ObamaCare plans. We reject that. We reject it based upon what we have done with Medicare Advantage and Medicare part D. The executive branch has said: Let's spend the same amount of money that we do for Medicare part D and Medicare Advantage, which have much higher enrollment than the ObamaCare exchanges. So we think that is appropriate. We do think that, with $100 million or more to try to get people to buy a product and you see enrollment go down, that is not a good use of money. Mr. Chair, with that, we would ask for a ``no'' vote on the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

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

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I don't know my colleague very well, but I think it is instructive to our citizens as a whole that Members come from across this great land and have a lot of different issues. I think it is instructive that even Members of Congress can be fighting illnesses and need lifesaving medicine to do that. I don't think we are fundamentally opposed to the amendment. We don't think it does exactly what the author is claiming it will do. In this package, in this bill, it is not, obviously, going to go anywhere because the President is not going to sign this bill. It is not going to go through the Senate. Mr. Chair, I would encourage my colleague to come back and visit with us so that we start moving something that can get bipartisan agreement that I think would be very instructive in looking at this as an addition. Now, I am speaking for myself, not for the ranking member of the full committee, because the gentleman is right that we need to have information. And when government is helpful in creating the initial science that then goes over to the private sector, that then goes to creating blockbuster drugs, then we should know, kind of, the skin in the game, Mr. Chairman, and how much that is due to good Federal policy by not just legislators, but also our agencies that help push that research by NIH or the CDC or the National Cancer Institute. Had this bill been brought and the three prescription drug transparency lower cost options been brought to the floor, as I said before--and I am not going to restate this every amendment debate--but we probably would have had a voice vote and we could have gone out for dinner. But it is attached to the ObamaCare rescue mission, which we think the public has already rejected. So we will get through this process, but I would encourage my colleague to join with the chairman of the committee and Republicans in looking at what we can do on this provision in the future. Mr. Chair, I would ask my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.