Fred Upton

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Chair, I thank my good friend and I thank, too, Mr. Quigley, who just spoke, as the two of us are the bipartisan sponsors of the Great Lakes Fisheries Authorization Act, and we are glad that it is part of this package. And I rise, obviously, in support, Madam Chair, today for this package of bills to help protect our coast and the Great Lakes. You know, in the southwest there is a saying, ``Don't mess with Texas.'' Well, as one that grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan, there is a saying that we have, too, ``Don't mess with the Great Lakes.'' This issue is deeply personal. It is one of great importance to the Nation. Our Great Lakes hold 18 percent of the world's fresh water supply, covers some 9,000 miles of shoreline, and this helps generate over $7 billion a year in sport and commercial fishing industry alone. This bill would authorize the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center to conduct science and research activities to support fishery management decisions in the Great Lakes. Funds are going to be used to restore the loss of basic fishery science capabilities, accelerate the development of invasive species controls and the restoration of native species, and implement advanced autonomous and remote sensing technologies. Current authorizations for the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center is confusing and funding is often piecemeal. In the past, the funds have been diverted to other unrelated purposes and disrupted ongoing research. That has got to change. With dedicated funding and clear authorization, the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center will, in fact, be able to better ensure the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. This is going to help enhance our coastal resilience, restore fish habitat, and protect our important coastal economies. I support the legislation.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I was attending a funeral Monday afternoon and was not able to get back before the votes concluded. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 568; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 569; and ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 570.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McHenry for his leadership on this, and for his co-sponsorship. I want to particularly cite Steny Hoyer, not only as a great friend, but as one who really helped shepherd this to the floor today. These are not easy. In fact, I talked to a colleague earlier today who has got another coin bill, and I told him I don't know if I can ever do another one of these again. It takes a lot of work. This has been bipartisan from the very start, and I want to thank my friend, Mike Crapo, who used to be on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who now chairs the Senate Finance Committee. But particularly, I want to thank my three colleagues that I see on the other side here, Debbie Dingell, Annie Kuster, and Chris Pappas, for their help to make sure that we could, in fact, get more than 290 cosponsors, which is the magic number to try and get this thing done. It is, as Mr. Hoyer, the majority leader, said, an important piece of legislation; it really is. It is, in essence, the Senate companion. Our bill, H.R. 500, is the companion to the Senate bill, S. 239, which passed at the end, just before the August break in the Senate. But we only do two coin bills a year. And as one that helped buttonhole Members about this, there is no cost to the Treasury. That is important. All of the costs are firstborn; the sale of the coins all goes to reimburse the Treasury for the costs that are associated, and then the profits from the coins go to the particular cause; in this case, it is FIRST. Many of us on both sides, all across the country, have seen FIRST competitions in high schools, with high schools, tens of thousands of high school students over the last 10, 15-some years. More than 3,500 individual corporate sponsors help to enlist people to be encouraged to go into the math and science fields, to compete, to develop robots, to compete against each other, to work with each other, build team partnerships, and it really makes a difference. In fact, there is a story that the current Air Force Academy Superintendent apparently said earlier this year that one of the first things that they look at for students for admission to the Air Force Academy is: Did they participate in FIRST. Because they know that if they did, that is an outstanding outside-school activity and they know that they are on the right path. What this coin is going to do, with Christa McAuliffe's picture, but the other six astronauts that were with her on that fateful January day, the sale of that coin is going to help FIRST, which was set up by Dean Kamen, who, in my book, is a rock star. But he, in essence, is the Thomas Edison of today. Yep, he did the Segway. He also did the kidney dialysis machine. He has done prosthetics so that our veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan are actually able to be functional in a way that makes up for the loss of those particular limbs. He is such an enthusiastic supporter of this that it is not only in every State in the Nation, but all around the world now, in terms of competition. And they have provided financial assistance, I think more than $50 million in scholarship loans, to students looking to move on to higher education, particularly in engineering. So this coin is going to be a sellout. I am looking forward to 2021 to getting my coin for sure and helping the cause. I would note that our State, in Michigan, under Governor Snyder, and now Governor Whitmer, a Republican and a Democrat, they have authorized in their budget at least $10 million a year to help offset the costs that are associated with the students as they participate in this program that often starts in January and concludes, as we saw in the worldwide competition in Detroit earlier this year, just a few months later. So it is a great program. All of us need to support it. Having more than 300 cosponsors was pretty awesome to do in just a short amount of time. And I congratulate my colleagues from New Hampshire, particularly the ones that are on the floor today for their work with our Senate colleagues to get this thing across the finish line. Knowing that you can only do two is pretty amazing. I reserve the balance of my time, just in case somebody needs it. I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the bill. I served as the former chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and now serve as the top Republican on the Energy Subcommittee. In those years, I helped develop, promote, and implement a North American energy independent plan, and it includes all of the above-- yes, renewable energy as well. I can remember the gas lines. I can remember paying higher prices for natural gas. I can remember $4 and $5 per gallon gas prices. And I can remember sending $1 billion every day to the Middle East. I smiled this last weekend when I filled up for $2.25. I smile now when I know that we can export rather than import oil from places that may not be so friendly to the United States. So if this bill passed, as well as the other two that passed yesterday and somehow became enacted into law, we have this thing called supply and demand. And guess what? Our consumers will pay much higher gas prices and we will lose out. So I would urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the DERA Coalition in support of H.R. 1768 on the Diesel Emission Reduction Act. Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Coalition Please Support One of the Nation's Most Effective Clean Air Programs When it comes to improving air quality for communities across the country, one of the most effective strategies is to replace older heavy-duty vehicles and equipment with new and much cleaner options. That is the goal of the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program managed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We urge you to support continuation of the program as provided under Matsui-Long reauthorization bill (H.R. 1768) which would deliver vital air quality improvements to your constituents. Four out of every ten Americans reside in a region with unhealthy air, according to EPA. The American Lung Association estimates that air quality for many regions around the country is not improving. DERA helps communities clean up their air by replacing older trucks, buses, and equipment with newer, cleaner technologies. Replacing just one Class 8 truck with a new model can eliminate tons of emissions. DERA also enjoys broad bipartisan support, along with support from a long list of business interests and environmental and health advocates, including those signatories below. According the EPA's latest report to Congress on the program issued in July of this year, since DERA's funding was first appropriated in 2008, more than 67,000 vehicles and engines have been upgraded or replaced, delivering $19 billion in direct health benefits. Those benefits include eliminating 15,490 tons of fine particles and 427,700 tons of nitrogen oxides, a smog forming compound. That works out to just about the same emission reductions as taking more than 236 million cars off the road for a year. The program provides just enough funding to encourage owners to make a smart investment in their purchase of cleaner and often more fuel-efficient vehicles and equipment. As a result, every $1 in public funds appropriated through the DERA program is leveraged with an additional $3 in nonfederal funds, generating between $11 and $30 in public health benefits and an additional $2 in fuel savings. While DERA has been around since 2008, there still is much to be done. Heavy-duty trucks and off-road equipment are built to last, meaning a large fleet of older and higher emitting trucks remain in service. Only four in ten trucks on the road today is equipped with technologies to achieve the latest near-zero tailpipe emissions standard set by EPA. Research shows that off-road equipment, including locomotives, are of an even older generation technology and will be in the field for decades to come. DERA provides the funding needed to incentivize the replacement of those older and higher emitting vehicles and equipment. The program is voluntary, competitive, and technology neutral, allowing funding to be used for projects, advanced locally, that provide the highest benefits for the amount of funding requested. The Diesel Emission Reduction Act has proved to be one of the most effective tools to generate short-term air quality and health benefits for local communities across the country, but those benefits cannot be sustained without proper funding. We encourage you to support extending the authorization of this cost-effective and environmentally impactful program for an additional five years as provided for under the bill. Sincerely, Alabama State Port Authority, American Association of Port Authorities, American Highway Users Alliance, American Lung Association, American Trucking Associations, Associated General Contractors of America BorgWarner Inc., Clean Air Task Force, Cook--Illinois Corporation, Corning Incorporated. Cummins Inc., DENSO International America, Inc., Diesel Technology Forum, Emissions Control Technology Association, Engine Manufacturers Association, Environmental Defense Fund, Faurecia Clean Mobility, The Lion Electric Co., Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association, Massachusetts Port Authority. NAFA Fleet Management Association, National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, National Resources Defense Council, National School Transportation Association, NGK Automotive Ceramics USA, INC., Scania USA, Seafood Harvesters of America, The Port of Corpus Christi, The Port of Los Angeles. The Port of New Orleans, The Port of San Diego, The Port of Virginia, Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association, Tula Technology, Inc., Umicore Autocat USA Inc., Unifrax I LLC, United Motorcoach Association, Volvo Group North America.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Rush, the distinguished chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, as well as Mr. Pallone and Mr. Walden, for bringing this bill to the floor. As the use of digital technology expands across the Federal Government and the private economy, there is a growing demand for energy to power our data centers, which are at the very center of this digital economy. With this growing energy demand comes, in fact, the growing need to identify areas to use energy more efficiently. Introduced by Ms. Eshoo and cosponsored by a number of Energy and Commerce Committee members on both sides of the aisle, Mr. Kinzinger, Mr. Welch, and Mr. Tonko, H.R. 1420 updates an important provision of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to increase stakeholder involvement in the work to identify metrics and the best practices to improve the energy efficiency of data centers. It also updates provisions to better track Federal programs to increase energy efficiency across the Federal Government's information technology. This is a practical update to an important program that no one should oppose. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1420, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 1768, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2019, is a bipartisan bill. It was introduced by my Energy and Commerce colleagues, Ms. Matsui, who just spoke, and Mr. Long, along with Mr. Lowenthal and Mr. Wittman. The bill simply, but importantly, reauthorizes the DERA program through 2024. This program was established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It is a voluntary program, administered by the EPA, that helps fund the retrofit or replacement of existing heavy-duty diesel vehicles, engines, and equipment with cleaner diesel or new technology. According to EPA's data, nearly 10 million older diesel vehicles are operating throughout our transportation infrastructure with no modern emission controls. The DERA funding and rebates help replace these vehicles with equipment that meets or surpasses current emissions standards. The majority of program spending targets areas that are not meeting air quality standards for particulate matter and other pollutants, including at ports and freight-distribution centers and in numerous communities reliant on legacy diesel engines, such as school buses and other vehicles. The Federal and State grants and other assistance under this program resulted in cleaner, more efficient vehicles, and the net effect is cleaner air in cities and communities that, in fact, need it the most. As EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler notes, this is an effective and innovative program to improve air quality across the country. In fact, DERA funding has proven a cost-effective tool to help communities meet their air quality implementation plans. Congress has long supported this program, which it first reauthorized in 2010 with strong bipartisan support and even after that authorization expired in 2016. This bill will ensure the good work to advance cleaner technology will, in fact, continue. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer).

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just want to make the point that this is an authorization that the level of spending will actually be determined by the Appropriations Committee, not ours. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a news release from the EPA making the point from Administrator Wheeler: ``As this report details, the DERA program is an effective and innovative way to improve air quality across the country while providing children with safer, more reliable transportation to and from school,'' said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. Nearly 10 million older diesel engines are operating throughout our transportation system. DERA has led to cleaner air across the U.S. by reducing emissions: 472,700 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides. 15,490 tons of particulate matter. 17,700 tons of hydrocarbon. 5,089,170 tons of carbon dioxide. [From EPA, 7/25/2019] News Releases from Headquarters, Air and Radiation (OAR) EPA Report: Clean Diesel Grants Rack up Major Air, Health Benefits (By EPA Press Office) Washington (July 25, 2019)--Grants to clean up or replace older diesel engines under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) have delivered significant health and environmental benefits to communities across America, according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report released today. DERA, a bipartisan effort authorized by Congress, provides cost-effective reductions of harmful diesel pollution across the U.S. and particularly in areas where air quality is a concern. ``As this report details, the DERA program is an effective and innovative way to improve air quality across the country while providing children with safer, more reliable transportation to and from school,'' said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. ``Children's health is a top priority for EPA, and DERA helps fulfill our children's health agenda and commitment to ensure all children can live, learn, and play in healthy and clean environments.'' Nearly 10 million older diesel engines are operating throughout our transportation infrastructure with no modern emissions controls. While some of these will be retired over time, many will remain in use, polluting America's air for the next 20 years. The DERA program provides rebates and grant funding to replace these vehicles and engines with equipment that meets or exceeds current emissions standards. DERA has led to cleaner air across the U.S. by reducing emissions: 472,700 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides. 15,490 tons of particulate matter (PM). 17,700 tons of hydrocarbon. 5,089,170 tons of carbon dioxide. Since 2008, DERA has awarded $629 million in funding to replace or retrofit 67,300 legacy diesel engines. EPA estimates that reducing these harmful pollutants will lead to $19 billion in health benefits and 2,300 fewer premature deaths. EPA estimates that for every federal dollar spent, DERA projects generate between $11 and $30 in public health benefits and over $2 in fuel savings. The DERA program works to reduce exposure and provide improved air quality in communities where air pollution is of concern, including those near ports, rail yards, and PM and ozone non-attainment areas. Sixty-four percent of projects awarded in fiscal year 2008-2016 were in areas with these air quality concerns. The Fourth Report to Congress summarizes the program's accomplishments from fiscal year 2008-2013 and discusses final and estimated results from funding in fiscal year 2014- 2016. For more information on DERA, visit: http://www.epa.gov/ cleandiesel. To access the report, visit https://www.epa.gov/ cleandiesel/clean-diesel-reports-congress.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, this is a program that works. It takes those older vehicles off the road. As far as I know, industry supports this. It is better for our communities, which is why our committee, under both Republican and Democratic chairmen and administrations, has supported this, letting the appropriators decide the level of funding that it actually prescribes. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues, again on a bipartisan basis, to support this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to confirm what the chairman said about this bill. It is bipartisan. We worked on this together. It is a good bill and it is an important one, which we passed on a voice vote on suspension in the last Congress. It reauthorizes the State Energy Program, and it strengthens our energy emergency planning and preparedness efforts. As States and communities respond to the damage throughout the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic from Hurricane Dorian, we are reminded how States have to respond to so many different hazards, including hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fuel supply disruptions, and physical and cyber threats. This legislation, in fact, provides States with the flexibility that they need to address local energy challenges. It ensures that State energy security planning efforts address fuel supply issues, assess State energy profiles, address potential hazards to each energy sector, mitigate risk to enhance reliability, and incorporate regional planning efforts. This legislation, H.R. 2114, helps States protect fuel and electric infrastructure from both physical and cyber threats and other vulnerabilities. It makes sure that we are thinking ahead, not just about an actual threat, but how our energy and electric systems might be vulnerable in a broader sense. The bill also encourages mutual assistance, an essential part of responding and restoring, in the event of an energy emergency. So prioritizing and elevating security planning and emergency preparedness is, in fact, an important step in the face of increased threats, vulnerabilities, and interdependencies of energy infrastructure and end-use systems. It is a bipartisan bill. It is a good bill. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Flores), the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this legislation, H.R. 1760, the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Act, is, in fact, another bipartisan bill sponsored by Mr. Flores, who just spoke, along with Jerry McNerney from California. At the end of the last Congress, the House passed the identical bill on suspension and also on a voice vote after the Energy and Commerce Committee had reported the bill favorably and also on a voice vote. Nuclear innovators face a critical challenge as they work to bring several promising advanced nuclear technologies to the market. These new designs require fuels that have different attributes than what is used in today's fleet of nuclear reactors, but the fuels are not commercially available. So this bill ensures nuclear innovators will, in fact, have the advanced fuels needed to develop and demonstrate their products commercially. The bill provides a direct path to align advanced nuclear fuel supply with initial demand for the deployment of next generation nuclear technologies. It provides for the development of the technical information necessary to assist the creation of the regulatory licensing framework for these fuels. The bill also directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a temporary program, operating to support a public-private partnership that is going to make what is known as high-assay low-enriched uranium available for use in the first-of-a-kind advanced nuclear reactor designs. It is going to provide for the information necessary to inform the new-market developments and cost recovery for any initial Federal investment. So, in short, the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Act takes the necessary steps to ensure that the infrastructure will be in place in time to enable the development and deployment of a new generation of nuclear technologies across the U.S. It is an important bill for ensuring the Nation's international leadership on nuclear technology to ensure that our energy security and achieving our clean-energy goals are, in fact, done. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and when it passes, I urge our Senate colleagues to adopt it as well. It is a bipartisan bill and, again, I congratulate the leadership on both sides of the aisle for bringing this bill to the floor for debate in a vote this afternoon. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 221.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan legislation. I just want to remark briefly to my colleague from Florida (Ms. Castor) that the ACE Kids bill was a very important bill that we worked on actually for three Congresses. Joe Barton and the gentlewoman did a marvelous job. We didn't quite get it done. We passed it in this House with more than 400 votes in the last Congress. At the end, the Senate just didn't take it up. It is very important that it is included as part of this bipartisan package, which we hope is early enough that we can get the Senate to act and pass it, because it really does impact families that are in much need. I also am happy that we are moving this comprehensive bill today because it does contain a variety of important extensions. All of them had hearings and a lot of bipartisan support from the very first. This includes protections against spousal impoverishment for those seniors who have a spouse who is receiving home-based long-term care under Medicaid. Back in 2010, we temporarily mandated these protections for home care, but that mandate was set to expire at the end of this very week, so it has to be extended. Last year, my good friend and colleague, Mrs. Dingell, and I introduced a bill to make the spousal impoverishment protections permanent, and we worked hard to get that done and passed here in this House. But at the end, even though we worked tirelessly on this, we got only a temporary extension. That is why it expires the end of this week. This bill doesn't permanently extend it like we had hoped last year, but it does give a reprieve by extending the protection until the end of this year, so, in essence, a 9-month extension. It is my hope that we can use the time to actually pass a permanent extension. I particularly commend the work of my colleague, Mrs. Dingell from the great State of Michigan, for her passion on this, to make sure that we can get it done. I applaud the Speaker for getting it scheduled on the House floor early so that we can get it done, hopefully, this week, and the Senate can concur. Then let's use the time to really make it permanent, to help these families that otherwise will have funds taken out, as this really does rely on Medicaid, to a large degree.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Chairman, I have long been a supporter of campaign finance reform. I voted for motor voter. I voted for McCain-Feingold the year in the House it was Shays-Meehan. I supported the Help America Vote Act in 2002. There are plenty of flaws in the current system. That is for sure. And we need to fix it. But you know what? We have a Democratic House, and we have a Republican Senate, and the only way that we are reasonably going to fix this issue is with a bipartisan bill. I am the only Republican here today who was here in 1993 when we passed the motor voter bill. This was a bill that was patterned after what Michigan has had in place for decades. When you get your driver's license, you are asked to register to vote. It works. This bill, H.R. 1, is not bipartisan. One of our big objections is truly the taxpayer-financed campaign element of this bill. If you do a poll today across the country, you are going to find that most voters are going to say that campaigns are too expensive; they are too negative; and, yes, they are too long. We are going to have thousands--thousands--of candidates running for Congress. They are all going to be eligible for this match from the Treasury for any contribution under $200, with a 6-to-1 ratio, so we are going to have more money in politics, and we are not going to have the transparency that I think all of us want. If we are going to fix the problem, let's sit down; let's have regular order; let's have all the committees with some jurisdiction sit down and have Republicans and Democrats work together on a committee process that we can pass in a bipartisan vote that will get the attention of the Senate, and maybe we can do something about the problems today.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I want to consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 762, was introduced by Representative Cartwright on January 24. I would note that it is identical to bills that passed the House in prior Congresses by a voice vote, unanimous and bipartisan. This legislation would require that the Secretary of Energy establish a clearinghouse to share information regarding available Federal programs to help schools initiate, develop, and finance energy efficiency, distributed generation, and energy retrofitting projects. These types of energy upgrades will help schools stretch their budgets and reduce their impact on the environment at the same time. This is a good, bipartisan bill. It is going to help schools take advantage of existing programs to cut down on their energy use. As I have said before, we should continue to encourage these innovations in energy efficiencies to help address climate change, and this bill is a good step in the right direction. Mr. Speaker, when I was a student, I never had a legislator come visit my class. As part of my district operation, I visit a school literally every week. So we all have districts that look pretty much the same. I have probably 100-some school districts, close to 500, 600 school buildings for sure, and as I have visited these classrooms in the years that I have served, every school is different. Many of these schools are 40, 50, 60 years old. This legislation is needed. We want to make sure that the money for education not only goes to help our students move forward, but, in fact, that they are in a safe environment. Energy conservation is something that is needed at almost every one of our schools. This is a good piece of legislation. I hope that we can pass it again today by a strong, bipartisan--perhaps, unanimous--vote, and I urge that the Senate take it up as quickly as they can. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on our side that I am aware of, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my fellow dean, my bipartisan dean on the other side. I have so many stories to tell, so I am going to watch the clock here a little bit. I am going to ramble. I don't have a prepared speech. I am delighted to be here. I am delighted that you were able to get this time for some of us to speak and honor a legend. And when you think about this last year, man, we have lost some really terrific ones: President Bush, John McCain, others. Certainly, John Dingell joins those ranks as a distinguished American who really made a mark on everyone's life in this country. Mr. Speaker, I include into the Record an article written by editor Nolan Finley of The Detroit News. [From the Detroit News, Feb. 9, 2019] John Dingell Knew How to Live, How To Love (By Nolan Finley) I was up to my waist and cork tight in what I can only describe as quicksand when I looked up and saw John Dingell squinting down at me with that familiar, satisfied grin. ``How in bloody hell did you get in there? And more important, how in blue blazes are you going to get out?'' We were hunting ducks on Maryland's Eastern Shore. I'd winged a goose that came down running, and was in hot pursuit when I stepped into the hole of muck and quickly sank. John pulled me out, and then finished off the goose. I never know how to answer when someone asks how a conservative, Republican-leaning newspaperman could become such fast friends with a New Deal Democrat who shaped the liberal politics and policies of the second half of the 20th century. I never occurred to either of us that we could be anything else. John didn't choose the people he loved based on political compatibility. Certainly, he had strong opinions, and so do I, and we engaged often in intense discussions. Not once in 25 years did we exchange angry words, nor ever part with hard feelings. We were more than our politics. When together, our conversation quickly moved to our common loves--guns and hunting. It was what drew us together in the first place. John was a great hunter, a dead-eye with a shotgun. I was with him when he shot the last duck he ever killed. Four of us were settled into a blind on a brisk but sunny January morning, and the ducks were coming in fast and furious. Three of us were blasting away like a trio of Elmer Fudds, shooting a lot of birds, but burning up a case of shells in doing so. Not John. Barely able to stand, he shouldered his shotgun just three times that day. And all three times a duck fell from the sky. Not a shell wasted. John's great passion was his wife, Debbie. After that, it was a toss-up between a duck blind and the House chamber for his next greatest love. I recall an afternoon when we were returning to Washington, and as we crested a hill the gleaming white Capitol dome came into view. ``I never get tired of seeing that,'' he said softly. And obviously he never did. John spent nearly 60 years in Congress, serving longer than anyone else. And better. John was a parliamentarian; he cherished the traditions and processes of the House. And while he was a bare-knuckled negotiator who relished a fight, he was ultimately a pragmatist. When the time came to compromise, John set down his club and made the deal. His decision to retire was based mostly on his waning physical condition. But he was also disgusted with the poisonous partisanship and gridlock ruining Congress. He couldn't stand to watch what was becoming of the institution he joined as a teen-aged page during World War II. Still, he hated to leave. The night before he announced his retirement, he called me to have dinner with him and Debbie. John had made his decision but hadn't accepted it. He was looking for assurance that he wasn't letting down the people of his district by leaving, that he'd done his best for them, that they'd understand his reasons. At the same time, he was offering counsel to Debbie, who had a quick decision of her own to make. He wanted her to succeed him, as he had his father, to continue a Dingell legacy in Congress stretching back to 1935. It was a poignant moment between the past and future. When I'd visit him after retirement, the questions were always the same. Did I make a difference? Do my people remember me? Would Pop be proud? I was always stunned that he could harbor such doubts, given his enormous accomplishments. But John Dingell never took the obligations of public service lightly. He always felt there was more he could do for the people who placed their trust in him. He was a man in the best sense of the word. A man of the Greatest Generation. A man of courage, confidence, compassion. A man who did his duty. A man who took care of his own business, and of the people he loved. And he sure did know how to love. He and Debbie shared an epic love affair that never waned. You couldn't be around them more than five minutes without hearing him say, ``I love you, Fox.'' The fire in his eyes when he looked at her burned until his last breath. She was fiercely protective of him, and kept him alive years longer than he should have expected by the sheer force of her will. Our friendship may have been unlikely, but it was one I cherished. I loved him, and hate to see him go. But if life's a game, John Dingell won it. Nearly 93 years, and every minute of it lived honorably and with passion and purpose. Goodbye, good friend. I hope wherever you are this morning, the ducks are coming in fast and low.

Mr. UPTON. I am going to also read to you an email that I got just an hour or two ago from his wife, Debbie, our colleague, who received this from the Ford family. This is from Mike Ford. Of course, his father was Gerry Ford, a great man, President, Michigander. And he wrote this, it is very brief: Debbie, Since learning of John's recent passing, my thoughts and prayers have been constant with you and your extended family. Through my reading of the many wonderful remembrances of and tributes to John, I have been deeply moved and blessed to revisit his remarkable legacy of leadership and service to the people of Michigan and to all of our Nation. John and my father, though identified from competing political parties, held so much in common as men of wisdom, integrity, compassion, and selfless service for all of humanity, and their friendship was true and enduring through a shared lifetime calling of public service. John Dingell and Gerry Ford represent what is good, honorable, and decent in our country. Please know of our Ford family's grace giving wishes and prayers for you and all the Dingell family at this time of loss and grief. May you know of God's abiding comfort, love, and hope this day and always. Mike Ford. Good guy that, again, some of us know, particularly those of us on the west side of our State. You know, he was our dean. And when I became the dean of the Michigan Republican delegation--that was in the early nineties. I have got to say--I was just adding it up here sitting with Tim--I was probably in thousands of meetings with John. Our delegation is close. We stand together on a host of issues, from the Great Lakes to the autos. We often had an agenda we worked together. Our offices were across the hall from each other for a lot of years. Of course, we have known Deborah forever and a day as well. I had the chance to talk to John Dingell the day before he died, and I talked to him a number of times over the last number of weeks. I read his book, which I would recommend to folks. Might put the R rating next to it, in terms of his language. You can hear him speak, and he had a genuine sense of humor. He had so many stories. I was asked a little bit earlier today: What about his tweeting? He tweeted until, literally, the last day or two. For those of you watching tonight, get on Google. Google MLive. That is sort of the Michigan news network. Google: MLive Dingell tweet. This weekend, they ran the top 20 tweets that he did, and they will make you laugh. They really will, especially the one with the bulldog. All of the animal lovers out there, make sure you find this one. He had a sense of humor. People say: How could a 92-year-old do all this? Well, let me tell you how. It is because of our committee. The committee has so much jurisdiction, part of which is telecommunications. We were the first ones. We forced the broadcasters. It was actually the Tauzin-Dingell bill, I want to say a lot of years ago, and I had an amendment that was critical there. We passed the Tauzin-Dingell bill. He cared so much about bipartisanship. We forced the broadcasters to go from analog to digital. That then allowed us all to have devices like this: iPhones and the internet. Instead of using a shoe for your phone, you got something like this that is like the world. We forced them to go digital, and that allowed this to happen. So guess what? John Dingell, in Congress, we would often sit down. We all meet in Detroit, let's face it. All of us, our delegation, we come from someplace. Mr. Kildee comes from Flint. Tim Walberg is actually lucky and gets on in Detroit. I come from South Bend or Kalamazoo or Grand Rapids. We all come from someplace, but generally, we fly Delta from Detroit back to D.C. We are all sitting at that A-75 gate. There is John Dingell, a colleague, and he is on his BlackBerry, zipping away, typing just as fast as you could imagine, communicating with people around the world. It is because of the work he did in our committee. That made our lives what they are today. Whether it is that or the environment or healthcare or pipeline safety, you name the issue--we are sorry Mr. Kildee went to the Ways and Means Committee. Deborah chose right; she went to the Energy and Commerce Committee. Mr. Kildee went to the dark side. Our committee has jurisdiction over so much. John Dingell was such a leader. He didn't care about who got the credit. He just wanted to get the job done. He sat right over here. When you would come over and ask his advice, you would make sure that you were on his good ear, and he would talk, and he would remember things. I can remember taking the Congressional Record from some big debates, the Voting Rights Act and others, and I would sit with him here, and we would go through the names, particularly the Michigan delegation, and why they voted this way or that way. He would tell the history. He was here for our lifetime. He was a gentleman to the very end. He knew the rules. He had respect from both sides of the aisle. He was a guy who we will never see replaced here in this House. In closing, let me say, even at the end, he was wondering: Did I make a difference? Of course he did. But here was a guy who made such a difference and a guy who really never thought he would be in this institution. When his dad died, a week before his dad died, he didn't think he was going to run for that seat. It was the people at home who encouraged him to run. When he chose to retire, he didn't push Deborah, nudge Deborah, to run for that seat. It is hard to imagine, 86 years of a Dingell representing southeast Michigan. What a tribute to a family that has made such a difference in this body, folks who love not only our State, but certainly their constituents. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Kildee for doing this Special Order.

Mr. UPTON. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. UPTON. We really ribbed Dave Camp about this, and the good Sandy, too.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to collarbone surgery. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 483; YEA on Roll Call No. 484; YEA on Roll Call No. 485; YEA on Roll Call No. 486; YEA on Roll Call No. 487; YEA on Roll Call No. 488; YEA on Roll Call No. 489; YEA on Roll Call No. 490; YEA on Roll Call No. 491; YEA on Roll Call No. 492; YEA on Roll Call No. 493; YEA on Roll Call No. 494; YEA on Roll Call No. 495; YEA on Roll Call No. 496; YEA on Roll Call No. 497; and NAY on Roll Call No. 498.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise on behalf of the Michigan Congressional Delegation--Reps. Debbie Dingell, Tim Walberg, Dan Kildee, Bill Huizenga, Brenda Lawrence, Justin Amash, Mike Bishop, Dave Trott, Paul Mitchell, and Jack Bergman--to acknowledge and commend one of the finest public servants the Great State of Michigan has been blessed to have: Mr. William ``Bill'' McBride. There has never been a better friend and advocate for Michiganders than Bill McBride. Over the past 44 years of Bill's service he has earned immense respect for his integrity, sincerity, and civility. No matter which political party was in power, in any of the branches of government, our constant source of information and enlightenment was--and is still-- Bill. Bill's distinguished career includes serving as chief of staff to Michigan Delegation Members Carl Pursell and Vern Ehlers. He also served as deputy chief of staff for Governor John Engler and most recently director of Governor Snyder's federal office. Bill is not just a beloved colleague and friend, he is a Michigan institution. ``Ask McBride'' has become a fond and common phrase for all of us. As loyal as the day is long, Bill has set the gold standard for public service. Bill exudes kindness, a sense of humor, and a sense of fair play. Always. They say home is where the heart is and Bill's has certainly always been Michigan. When any issue has arisen affecting our state, Bill has been in the thick of it. His hard work has had a positive impact that will ripple far beyond when he leaves public service. We are sure to confront many situations and challenges where we will dearly miss his sage counsel, wit, and wisdom. He will stay on speed dial for several of us on both sides of the aisle for years to come. The Michigan Congressional Delegation stands today to wish Bill the very best of luck as he turns the page and moves on to write many more, which we are sure will be just as storied and successful. God speed Bill, and I thank him from the bottom of our hearts.