Michael Turner

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to begin by thanking my ranking member. This bill comes to the House floor from the Senate with bipartisan support in the House, and it does so as a result of the leadership of the Ranking Member, Jim Himes. I appreciate his commitment to both the declassifying of information and to the importance of this information concerning COVID- 19, and for the fact that we are working in a bipartisan manner to do so. This will be a very strong statement from this House today that we want to know the origins of COVID-19. The American public deserves to know the answers, and that we are moving to declassify the information that we have available. Madam Speaker, I ask for support of S. 619, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I have no more speakers. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger).

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. McCormick).

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy).

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, the issue of the origins of COVID are so important that our Speaker has appointed a select subcommittee on the origins of COVID. Our next speaker, Dr. Wenstrup, is the chair of that subcommittee. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup).

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart).

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott).

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Kelly).

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford).

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I appreciate my ranking member's very thoughtful comments and remarks. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia).

Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 619, a bill that would require the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information relating to the origin of COVID-19. The House companion bill, H.R. 1376, passed unanimously out of the Intelligence Committee. I thank Ranking Member Himes for his dedication to bipartisanship and professionalism as we work together to try to ensure that the Intelligence Committee responds to the needs of the House. Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc across the country, with almost every household feeling its effects. The United States death toll from this virus has surpassed 1 million people. Although concrete data is hard to lock down, millions of Americans are suffering from the long-term effects directly attributed to this virus. COVID-19 has also negatively affected our communities, especially our kids. It has become increasingly clear that school-age children face major educational hurdles because of distance learning and long-term school closures. The American public deserves answers to every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic, including how this virus was created, and specifically, whether it was a natural occurrence or was the result of a lab-related event. The House Intelligence Committee which oversees our intelligence community is aware of classified information that could help inform the public why COVID-19 as a lab leak theory is not just a possibility but approaches the idea that it is likely. The intelligence community does have more information about COVID-19 than the public is led to believe. Much of the information they have can be declassified and disseminated to the public. In fact, the bill we are discussing today would give the American public just a glimpse, albeit a very important aspect, of the classified information the intelligence community holds. S. 619, if passed by the House and signed into law, would give the American public a unique insight as to what was happening at a biosafety level laboratory in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and early 2020. This laboratory and who was working there might be the key to unraveling the truth. For those concerned about declassifying COVID-19 origins information, I can assure you that the intelligence community could release this information while protecting their sources and methods of how it was collected. In fact, I believe that the intelligence community could go further than what is called for in S. 619 and release most of what it knows about COVID origins, but this is a good start. COVID-19 ranks as one of this century's most important events. No community was spared, and every corner of the world felt its effects. Everyone deserves to know what our intelligence community knows, and S. 619 is the right step in the right direction. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert into the Record extraneous material on S. 619.

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 199, I call up the bill (S. 619) to require the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information relating to the origin of COVID-19, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of my dear friend, Dick Church Jr., who passed away last month at the age of 81. Dick was a dedicated public servant who served for 28 years as Mayor of the City of Miamisburg, Ohio. Dick Church spent most of his adult life serving the people of Ohio's ``Star City.'' He was a member of the commission that wrote the city's charter in the 1960s, and served for 13 years on the Miamisburg Parks and Recreation Board. He was elected Mayor in 1991 after serving a single term on the city council. No one loved Miamisburg more, or worked so passionately to make ``great things happen'' for the city and the people who live there than Dick Church. During his time as mayor, Dick Church provided the community with solid leadership, and enabled the city to prosper and grow in both size and population. His successful management of the cleanup of the Mound Laboratory facility in Miamisburg, and its redevelopment into a world- class business park was among his most important achievements. Dick Church was a close friend and mentor to me during my 8 years as Mayor of the City of Dayton. We shared similar ideas about urban revitalization and redevelopment, and I benefited from his wisdom and experience. Dick worked tirelessly to make the City of Miamisburg a better place to live, work, and raise a family. He retired in 2019 as the longest-serving Mayor in Miamisburg's 205-year history. Dick Church will be dearly missed by all of us who had the pleasure of knowing him. My prayers are with his wife Judi, his family, his many friends, and the community he served.

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, last Congress, I served as the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee. Chairman Jordan and I have already been working to ensure that the intelligence community and the Department of Justice, including the FBI, are not violating the civil rights of law-abiding Americans. Sadly, we already have very troubling evidence to begin our investigation to ensure that our intelligence community and law enforcement agencies are not violating Americans' constitutional rights. Some of this information is similar to what has been publicly disclosed by the Twitter files, which is a small portion of the information that we have that is gravely concerning about the improper use of government authority that this committee will be focusing on. This subcommittee is about protecting rights, a task that everyone in this body just took an oath to protect last week. Our committee will be assisting this subcommittee. We look forward to working with Chairman Jordan on this important issue, and we know that this is important to the American people.

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Julia Reichert, an Academy Award winning documentarian from my district in Southwest Ohio. Julia passed away earlier this month at her home in Yellow Springs after a battle with cancer. I appreciate this opportunity to pay tribute to her life and legacy. Julia came to the Miami Valley to attend college and eventually settled there where she would spend the next 50 years producing films and documentaries that challenged viewers preconceptions on gender, class, race, and economics. Julia debuted her first documentary, Growing Up Female, in 1971 and it is widely recognized as one of the first films from the Women's liberation movement. The Library of Congress honored Julia's work on Growing Up Female by selecting the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Julia would continue her passion and work in film making, receiving Oscar nominations in 1976, 1984, and 2010 before finally breaking through to win the 2020 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for her film, American Factory. Julia's film captures the arrival of Fuyao, a Chinese glass manufacturer, that comes to the United States and reopens a shuttered GM plant in Moraine, Ohio, employing 2,000 workers in the Miami Valley. She captured the tumultuous journey between high- tech Chinese employers and working-class Americans with a creative style that showcases the stark contrasts in the two cultures, invoking empathy for both parties. Her films and documentaries are not the only legacy that Julia will leave behind. As a professor of Film Production at Wright State University for the past 28 years, she influenced hundreds of lives in the classroom. Julia's impact on the Miami Valley and her country will not soon be forgotten and her legacy as a storyteller, advocate, and teacher will live on for generations to come, both in her work and in the lives she touched.

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, which I am proud to represent in this chamber, is home to many illustrious citizens who have dedicated their time and talents to making this world a better place to live. One of them is Willis ``Bing'' Davis, who has enriched us for over 60 years as an educator, artist, curator, community servant, and mentor. Bing has been the driving force behind many important cultural and arts projects and initiatives that enhance the understanding and appreciation of African American history and culture. Bing Davis was born in Greer, South Carolina on June 30, 1937, the son of a coal truck driver and gospel singer. He grew up in Dayton, Ohio and attended Washington Elementary School on the east side of town. At six feet four inches tall, Bing was a two-time First Team All- City basketball standout at Wilbur Wright High School, where he graduated in 1955. With the help of coach Dean Dooley, Bing entered DePauw University to study Art Education. His athletic prowess on the basketball court and on the track team earned him induction into DePauw's Athletics Hall of Fame. After graduating from DePauw in 1959, and from Miami University in 1967, Bing studied at the Dayton Art Institute, and Indiana State University. He returned to DePauw in 1970 as its first full-time, tenure track, African American professor and taught a ceramics class at Central State University for 20 years. While at Central State University, Bing was the Chair of the Art Department and Director of the Paul Robeson Cultural and Performing Arts Center. After retiring from teaching in 1998, Bing went on to create the Willis Bing Davis Art Studio & EbonNia Gallery in the Wright-Dunbar neighborhood of Dayton. Bing also founded SHANGO Inc., a non-profit organization designed to provide a positive art and culture- oriented environment for Dayton's youth. Over the course of his illustrious career, Bing has held exhibitions at the Renwick Gallery, the Studio Museum of Harlem, and the National Museum of Art of Senegal, West Africa, amongst many others. In tribute to his international acclaim, Bing's artwork can be found across the world in England, China, Japan, France, Australia, and throughout Africa. His distinguished career has led Bing to receive numerous awards, including the Ohio Governor's Irma Lazarus Lifetime Achievement Award, given as the highest art award in the state of Ohio. With strong roots in the Dayton community, Bing prides himself on being a champion for Dayton Public Schools and an advocate against racism. Growing up, Bing's mentors encouraged him to follow his dreams of becoming an artist. Following in their path, Bing takes it upon himself to ``Reach High and Reach Back'' to his Appalachian and East Dayton roots by inspiring the next generation of African American artists. Looking back over his long and productive life, Bing once remarked: ``I received two blessings: being born black, and being raised in East Dayton . . . . It's a unique worldview that gives me strength.'' Bing Davis has been selected by the Presidents Club of Dayton as the 71st recipient of the prestigious Citizen Legion of Honor Award. The Citizen Legion of Honor Award is an appropriate tribute to his lifelong legacy of scholarship and community service. I congratulate Bing on this well-deserved honor and thank him for his substantial contributions to the civic, cultural, and economic well-being of the Dayton region, and our Nation.

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I want to honor and pay tribute to the life and accomplishments of John Everett Voss, Jr., a community leader and businessman from my congressional district, who passed away on September 11, 2022. John Voss was a pillar of the Dayton community. He founded Voss Chevrolet with his father, John, Sr. in Centerville, Ohio in 1972. Voss Auto Network grew into the biggest auto group in the Dayton/Miami Valley region and became one of the top 100 dealers nationwide in sales volume, providing jobs to many, with nine franchised dealerships in Southwest Ohio. Throughout his life, John and his family have strived to better our community and help others. In 2016, he launched an annual car show called the Voss Hoss Cruise-in, with the proceeds benefiting the Fisher Houses at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and AIM for the Handicapped. John received the Dayton Entrepreneur of the Year award, the Ohio Auto Dealers Association award, and was named a Time Magazine Quality Dealer for his outstanding business performance and involvement in the community. When asked what the secret of his business success was, John answered: ``Putting the customers first, knowing our market, hiring and training good employees, and treating them right--thus creating an environment at the dealerships that fosters wonderful employee morale and excellent customer service.'' My heartfelt condolences are with John's wife Gail; his sons Craig and Brad, and all those who knew him and called him a friend. I include in the Record the following obituary, as it was published in the Dayton Daily News: John Voss, the founder and co-owner of the Voss Auto Network, died Sunday. He was 79. The network, a family-owned and operated business, is comprised of Voss Chevrolet, Voss Cadillac, Voss BMW, Voss Toyota, Voss Honda, Voss Hyundai and Joe Morgan Honda. Sons Craig and Brad Voss have been co-owners since 2010. ``Dad had the biggest heart of anyone I ever knew,'' Craig Voss told Dayton Daily News. ``It was interesting though, because he was very quiet about it. What he would do for his employees, for his friends, for countless charitable organizations . . . I can't begin to tell you how much he did, but he did it very privately and very quietly.'' His father didn't desire recognition, he said. ``That wasn't why he was he was doing what he did,'' Craig Voss said. John Voss had a way of looking at things in the business world in a way in which other people just couldn't, he said. ``He was very driven, but he also had a way of seeing opportunities where nobody else saw them,'' Craig Voss said. ``He just had this set of morals and ethics that not only guided him but really, he found people that shared those values, and he placed them all throughout the organization and then he just let them operate within the business as if it were their own.'' John Voss was born on Nov. 3, 1942, near Chicago. He launched his automotive career in Evanston, Illinois, and on 1972, he and his father purchased land in Centerville and opened Voss Chevrolet. After the death of his father, Voss spent the next several decades building Voss Auto Network into the largest auto group in the Dayton/Miami Valley area, one that has approximately 500 employees across its seven locations, Craig Voss said. That included Joe Morgan Honda built in 2010 in Monroe by Voss and the late Cincinnati Reds second baseman Joe Morgan, a good friend and a Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. He also established the Voss Collision Centre, which he grew into one of the largest dealer-owner collision repair facilities in the United States. Voss was recognized as a leader and innovator in the automotive industry, company officials said. Craig Voss said his father's death came unexpectedly after a brief hospitalization at Kettering Health Miamisburg. ``The nurses, the doctors and the staff . . . I can't say enough about them and the love and caring that they provided to us over the last couple of weeks,'' he said. John Voss is survived by his wife Gail, sons Brad (Lisa) Voss and Craig (Jessica) Voss and three grandchildren.

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Foxx for yielding me time. I am an original cosponsor of this bill, H.R. 6929. This legislation restores the pensions of the Delphi Salaried Retirees. I am very proud to speak on behalf of this bipartisan bill. During the Obama administration's 2009 taxpayer-funded General Motors bankruptcy bailout, President Obama's Auto Task Force directed the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to terminate the fully funded pensions of more than 20,000 Delphi Automotive salaried retirees. Even worse is that the pensions of the salaried retirees were terminated while the Obama Auto Task Force used the taxpayer-funded bankruptcy to top up the pensions of the Delphi union employees. The Obama administration choose winners and losers, with taxpayers' dollars. A 2013 report published by the Special Inspector General for TARP said: ``Treasury did not view the non-UAW Delphi hourly employees or the Delphi salaried employees as having leverage because they could not hold up GM's bankruptcy.'' These pensions did not fail. These pensioners were robbed of their pensions by the people who were supposed to protect them. For over 13 years now, I have worked with my colleagues to try to restore these pensions. President Trump issued a Presidential directive, a memorandum directing the PBGC to provide options for restoring through the agency calling ``the plight of Delphi's salaried and non-unionized workforce a great concern to my administration.'' President Biden also supports this legislation. Now, Congress must restore these pensions. There is no precedent for this bill. No one else has had the White House pick winners and losers and take away their pensions. It is our responsibility, as Members of Congress, to address this injustice. We finally have the chance to rectify this wrong. Stand up for the 20,000 hardworking Americans who want what is rightfully theirs. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing. I thank Representative Keating and Representative Costa for their work on this resolution. I also thank Majority Leader Hoyer for his comments in support of NATO and in support of Ukraine. Certainly, the crisis that is occurring there is an impetus, I think, for our moving quickly and in support of this resolution. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider the accession protocols for these two countries in the next week. This vote is an opportunity for the House of Representatives to demonstrate their support for Finland's and Sweden's NATO membership. This support should be overwhelming. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join in supporting this resolution. In the face of Vladimir Putin's aggression, it is critical that the United States Congress speak with one voice on strengthening NATO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank Representative Costa, who I am very proud to serve with on the board of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. We look forward to recognizing and accepting a full delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly from both Finland and Sweden. Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine and the inhumane assault on innocent civilians, thinking that he would be able to divide the NATO alliance. He was mistaken. Instead, Finland and Sweden responded by dropping their policies of military neutrality and applying for NATO membership. As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg put it, Vladimir Putin wanted less NATO, and now he is getting more NATO on his borders. Finland and Sweden will both be significant security providers for NATO. This bipartisan resolution supports ratifying the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO. Having served as the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I understand the fundamental role this organization plays in defending democracies and supporting freedom. Finland and Sweden's strategic location in northern Europe, advanced militaries, and decades of fighting alongside the U.S. and NATO mean that their accession will immediately strengthen transatlantic security. Finland and Sweden have well-trained armed forces, sophisticated modern weapons systems, and have committed to allocating 2 percent of their gross domestic product to defense spending. Both militaries are highly interoperable with NATO forces, having participated in numerous NATO-led operations from Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina to Kosovo. Meanwhile, Finland has finalized its purchase of F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. in a $12 billion deal. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution, which calls on all members of NATO to ratify Sweden and Finland's protocols of accession swiftly. Finally, for the alliance to be credible, every nation must do its fair share. The resolution also urges members of NATO to meet their 2 percent defense spending pledge. President Trump successfully pushed our NATO allies to spend more on defense. Putin's invasion has been another motivation to convince our allies who had not been living up to their military commitments to NATO to increase their defense spending and make concrete plans to reach the 2 percent requirement. A strong, united NATO is in the United States' interest. With Sweden and Finland as members, the balance of power in Europe will be tipped against Putin. Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 272.

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I want to pay tribute to a long-time staff member and dear friend, Mrs. Marty Heide, who left my office at the end of April to begin her well-deserved retirement. Marty and I have worked together for over 33 years. She started her career as an employee at my downtown Dayton, Ohio law firm, and worked in my office during my two terms as mayor of Dayton. After I was elected to Congress in 2003, Marty spent the next 19 years serving the citizens of Southwest Ohio as a caseworker in my district office, and as District Outreach and Director of Special Events for Greene County. Marty Heide has touched the hearts of everyone who has had the good fortune to know her and to work with her. She has earned a reputation as an experienced, knowledgeable and sympathetic caseworker who never hesitated to go above and beyond the call of duty to help a constituent, listen to their concerns, work toward a solution--and more often than not, a successful outcome. Marty was responsible for organizing the annual Congressional Art Competition, to showcase the artistic talents of high school students in the Dayton area. She also directed my Military Service Academy Board, spending countless hours mentoring some of our best and brightest young people, and selecting the future leaders of our Armed Forces for nominations to our Nation's military academies. Marty has helped literally thousands of my constituents cut through the maze of the Federal bureaucracy--whether they were seniors having trouble obtaining their Social Security or Medicare benefits, or helping to expedite the renewal of a passport, or solving problems with tax returns, or helping a future citizen obtain a green card. Madam Speaker, I cannot tell you how many times a happy constituent has told me about how Marty helped them, or a close family member, resolve a problem. The president of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra once contacted my office with an urgent request for an expedited visa to allow a musical group from Canada, Jeans n Classics, to perform for Dayton's annual Summer in the City Musical Festival. He sent me a message, saying that ``Marty did a fantastic job in getting this issue resolved quickly and efficiently. We are very, very grateful for Marty's prompt, helpful, and courteous assistance.'' A retiree from Beavercreek recently needed help gaining access to funds from his Thrift Savings Plan, which were needed to cover vital living expenses during the coronavirus pandemic. Marty jumped right into action, and the matter was cleared up in a very short period. ``Without Marty's skillful intervention,'' he wrote, ``I may still be waiting for TSP to complete my requested transfer of these funds.'' After Marty helped expedite the renewal of his son's passport for a trip to Tokyo, a man from Dayton wrote: ``My son and I couldn't have completed the Transpacific business/personal trip without Marty's outstanding professionalism and stick-to-itiveness. We were able to bond, spending quality time with each other that'll never be forgotten.'' On behalf of myself, and on behalf of the countless Miami Valley residents she has helped, I thank Marty Heide for a job well done. I will be forever grateful for the friendship and support she has given to me, the staff, and the people our congressional district. Her presence in my office will certainly be missed. I wish her and her husband, Randall, a happy, healthy, and productive retirement.

Mr. TURNER

Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.