Lynn Westmoreland

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, this is a unique situation where the Fish and Wildlife Service has already begun a new environmental assessment. In the meantime, there are fish farmers who are hurting because of this ruling as they are seeing their stock being eaten by these cormorants, with no recourse to take against them. These cormorants not only affect fish farmers, they also affect smallmouth bass populations in the Lake States. These farmers should have the right to protect their crops while this new environmental assessment is being put in place, and I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment so that we can stand up for small farmers that are doing their best to feed our country. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank my colleague and fellow Georgian, Mr. David Scott, for inviting me to share some words and congratulations toward a great Georgian who is here today. That Georgian is Jocelyn Dorsey, who was recently inducted into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Jocelyn has served our community for more than 43 years as an employee of Atlanta's number one local station, WSB-TV Channel 2 Action News. Jocelyn now serves as the director of editorials and public affairs at WSB, where she is responsible for all community and public service outreach programs. Over the years, she has become not only an accomplished and trusted news anchor but a person who gives her money and her time and who is a friend to all who have ever met her. Aside from her work at the station, Jocelyn uses her free time to bring awareness to the Atlanta area nonprofits and assists them with fundraising. I have been involved with her many times at some of these fundraising opportunities that she takes. Jocelyn serves on the advisory board of many charitable organizations in Atlanta, working to improve the lives of those with developmental disabilities and to improve the lives of the children of the community. She is also a mentor to teens and is an advocate for family values. Jocelyn has been a pioneer for women in journalism in our State, especially for African American women. She is a leader and has been recognized by the city of Atlanta and county commissioners for all of the work that she has done. Many people want to make Atlanta better, but what makes Jocelyn special is that she actually works hard every day to make our city a better place. Whether it is at the TV studio or during her free time, she is committed to making Atlanta a great place to work, live, and raise children. Jocelyn knows and embodies the best values of Georgians--hard work, service, and, of course, leadership. There cannot be improvement without action, and Atlanta's next generation is fortunate to have a strong, active leader in the community like Jocelyn to look up to and to try to follow. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Jocelyn on her induction into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. I also thank her for her commitment to Atlanta and to the State of Georgia. I wish Jocelyn and her family all the best, and I know that she will continue to do great things for our city and our State.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend, a friend of Georgia's Third Congressional District, and a friend of all Georgia, J. Randy Jackson, chief administrative officer for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, who tragically passed away on the afternoon of May 20, 2016. Randy was the first American employee hired for Kia's plant in Georgia. He not only became the public face for Kia Motors in Georgia, but an advocate for the continued creation and development of employment opportunities for Georgians. When he came to Kia, and when Kia came to West Point, Georgia, West Point was a struggling city affected by the textile plant closings. But under Randy's leadership ability to bring people together for the good of all, both Kia and West Point have thrived. Today, Kia is responsible for 15,000 jobs at the plant and in the surrounding community. Mr. Jackson played a key role in hiring thousands of those employees. A passionate worker, his enthusiasm for Kia and creating jobs cultivated a workplace that both blended corporate business and human needs. Randy had an almost unique way about him. Somehow, he was able to be comfortable and at ease while projecting that he had full control over every situation that might arise. Randy's way was a remarkable blend of personality, caring, and expertise. Randy's presence was felt beyond the walls of Kia--and will be for many years to come. He was, for example, involved in the THINC Academy, which strives to support the education of future generations of good employees. While Randy Jackson was a dedicated company man, he was also a devoted family man. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Deborah Jackson. He was the proud father of two children, James Randall Jackson, Jr., of Kentucky, and Jennifer Caley Jackson of Milner, Georgia. His parents, James Edward and Pauline Greer Jackson of Macon, Georgia, and a sister, Delbra Jackson Hayes, of Perry, Georgia, also survive him. Mr. Jackson was a very loving and doting grandparent to his granddaughter, Scarlett Anne. Mr. Jackson also had softness in his heart for his beloved Rat Terrier, Rambo Brodie. Randy lived a life of hard work and love. He inspired those around him ``to make every day better than yesterday.'' His loss will be long felt at Kia and in the entire community. He made both better from his presence. At the plant, they talk about the Kia Way, emphasizing teamwork and problem solving to make progress. We all know that Randy's way was the Kia Way. The community and the plant will go on; the plant he helped to make sure that it would, but it won't be quite the same without him. Thanks, Randy, and until we meet again.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my deep concerns about the proactive management practices displayed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, in regard to their management of West Point Dam and Lake water levels. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should use all appropriated funds to implement and carry out the best practices. For many years, my office and the stakeholders of West Point Lake have worked with the Mobile District to discuss proactive policies and what it will take to put adaptive management practices in place. Upon hearing the announcement that West Point Lake will not remain at full pool this summer as a direct result of the Mobile District's decision to draw down the lake, I once again am concerned that best practices are not being utilized. The construction of the West Point Dam was authorized by Congress through the Flood Control Act of 1962 and completed later in 1975. Of the five intended purposes for the West Point Dam and Lake, general recreation is chief among them. West Point Lake has served this historical purpose for over 40 years, contributing anywhere from $153 million to $710 million in annual economic impact. However, the economic impact depends heavily on the lake's water levels. West Point Lake guests enjoy fishing, boating, and other water sports, as well as many other outdoor activities centrally located around the lake. There can be no doubt that recreational activities on West Point Lake are the life-blood of the area. The threat of low water levels will have substantial impacts on recreation. I urge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District to use all appropriated funds to implement adaptive management practices according to the general recreation purpose of West Point Dam and Lake.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I think, as we remember his family and the other families tonight, we should remember them for a while and thank them. We have just recently had another officer who was killed. We have to remember these people and their families and not only pray for the protection of the public servant, but pray for those families that, when that loved one leaves their house, like in my case, and you don't know whether your loved one is coming back, pray for them that they would have that strength and that encouragement and that love to let that loved one go do their job. How appropriate, as has been mentioned, that this post office is right across the street from the Riverdale Police Department. A post office is somewhere where the community comes and gathers and talks. I don't think there is any more honorable tribute. I have lived in Riverdale. I know that area. I know that post office. I know how the community respects that, so there could be no greater tribute than to have a post office named after you. I want to encourage all my colleagues to help us send a great message to this hero's family and support H.R. 4747. Again, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott), my friend, for letting me participate in this.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I am honored today that my colleague, Congressman David Scott, asked me to participate in this. My father was a firefighter for 26 years in the city of Atlanta, and he died answering an alarm in 1972. So I understand the heartache of a family when a loved one goes to do their job, to be that first responder, that first person on the scene, and does not come back. I think it is particularly interesting that, in this case, this officer and his colleagues were serving a no-knock warrant. No-knock warrants are issued by a judge because they are basically the most protective type of warrant for a police officer because they go in, and they know there is criminal activity or there are drug sales, gambling, or whatever the circumstance is, that they can go in. Major Barney was out in the field and happened to give chase to a gentleman who ran out the back door. A lot of times when these first responders put their lives on the line, I don't think people understand that they have got a wife, such as he had, Lisa, sons, Robert and Greg, who he wanted to go home to that night. Those boys wanted their daddy to come home, and that wife wanted her husband to come home. He was out serving the community. I think that is one of the great attributes that, if you look at Major Barney and how other people looked at him, it is what he did for his family, what he did for his community and all the different services that have already been mentioned here tonight. A lot of times, for some reason, the public does not want to understand that these law enforcement officers, these first responders, these medics who go out and do this, they do this for the protection of all of us--at the risk of their lives. Major Barney gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call Number 179, Number 177, Number 176, Number 175, Number 172, and Number 171 I am not recorded because I was absent. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on passage.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, on April 14, 2016, the House of Representatives considered H.R. 3791, to raise the consolidated assets threshold under the small bank holding company policy statement, and for other purposes. Regrettably, I was unable to be present for the vote. However, had I been present, I would have supported the final passage of H.R. 3791.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, in a world riddled with self-service and promotion, true public servants are hard to come by. But in Georgia's higher education system, we are fortunate to have selfless and strong men and women to inspire our next generation. It is in the defense of hard work and promotion of academic excellence that Georgia's students recognize a true leader. And with great honor, I would like to recognize a new leader in Georgia and my friend, Dr. Christopher L. Markwood. On March 31, 2016, President Markwood will be formally inaugurated as the fifth president of Columbus State University. His confirmation comes without doubt, as his roles at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the University of Wisconsin-Superior proved his ability to lead. President Markwood has already made a strong impact on both Columbus State University and the Columbus community. Since President Markwood was hired in June of 2015, Columbus State University has seen a spike in enrollment, and now serves 8,440 students from across the state and nation. The university recorded one of its largest fundraising years ever, bringing them close to their $106 million comprehensive goal. Columbus State University is now the home of the ``TSYS Center for Cybersecurity'', which trains our students in the growing and in-demand field of computer science and network security. Much of this would not have been possible without President Markwood's passion for the university's success. It has been a privilege to work with President Markwood during my last term in Congress and I look forward to watching Columbus State University continue to excel under his leadership. I wish President Markwood, his wife Bridget, and their daughter all the best as they continue to serve Cougar Nation.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of admiration that we congratulate Mr. David Pringle, Senior Vice President of Aflac, on his retirement on behalf of the citizens of our districts. As you know, Aflac is one of Georgia's most renowned and respected companies. The company has repeatedly found its name on prestigious lists such as Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and Ethisphere's list of World's Most Ethical Companies. In addition, Aflac has generously provided the opportunity for more than 5,000 skilled individuals to demonstrate the spirit that has made the company a household name and has helped make Georgia a highly desirable place to live and raise a family. What makes a company like Aflac so successful are the employees and leaders, like David, who work tirelessly behind the scenes. As Senior Vice President, David serves as a role model, as his career is a veritable road map for young ambitious people to follow and emulate. However, his recent decision to retire from Aflac and departure from Washington certainly will be a source of sadness among members of Congress and staff so accustomed to reaching out to David whenever in need of counsel. It is not only the institutional knowledge of the insurance industry's most complex issues that will be missed, but the friendship David has provided to us over the years. We wish David and Linell all the best in their next chapter, and hope that it includes the rewards and the leisure he has so richly earned.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I want to start my time by quoting directly the Second Amendment of our Constitution: ``A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.'' Aren't those beautiful and resounding words? As a man who likes to keep it simple, I appreciate the Founding Fathers not only for their foresight to protect the right to bear arms, but also how plain and simple they made it. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon. Unfortunately, I think our Founding Fathers spoke too plainly for certain people and certain Presidents to understand. That President may always remind us that he taught constitutional law. Sadly, I have yet to encounter someone in that position who disregards the Constitution so regularly. Not only does that President trample on the Second Amendment, but he would also trample on Article I, which, as you know, is the Congress and going through them to make laws. That President should have known that regulations regarding buying guns must come from legislation, not by an oral decree. That President tried to legislate in the Senate several times, but his colleagues refused to do it, even though there was a majority. Now that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not in the majority in Congress, I am assuming that this administration is deciding to create their own regulations--the Constitution be damned-- because, sadly, there are no checks and balances anymore. We know even if Congress passes a bill to repeal any type of order that any President makes, it would still have to go to that individual for the bill to be signed. So what are the chances of putting together a bill that some Congress may have seen as an inappropriate action and then send it to the person that created that inappropriate action and expect him to sign it? I think, Mr. Speaker, one of the things that has so disappointed the American people is the inability to have their Representatives voice their complaints and do their legislative responsibility with an out- of-control government. So each week, as the administration or a group is intent on disregarding the Constitution, people become numb. The American people become numb to these illegal actions. I think it is time that we brought attention to some of these illegal actions that some Presidents in the past and some Presidents in the future may create. I think it is time that we bring these actions to the attention of the American people and let them know what our Founding Fathers had the intention to do originally, what they intended the Constitution to mean, and how it was interpreted by those very first legislators: President Washington, the Supreme Court, and others. They took this document as a simple document. It was very plainly written and read. But, unfortunately, we have had Supreme Courts, Presidents, and legislative bodies that have tried to take these simple, basic words and turn them into something that they could use for their benefit, to try to change the way that this world works and how the laws they make are applied to our citizens. So, Mr. Speaker, we are going to try to do as much as we can in the near future to try to bring this to the attention of the American people and the world, because I think our Constitution has been a great cornerstone for this world and for any country that wants to have a republic, a democracy, and a people-driven form of government and to really feel that coat of liberty wrapped around them. I think our Constitution is that. So I think it is time for us not only to make the citizens aware, but to make this whole world aware of what has been going on and what we are going to do to stop it.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, on December 11, 2015, the House of Representatives considered the Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015. Regrettably, due to a family commitment I was unable to cast my vote on this legislation. Had I been present, I would have voted yes on the Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, on November 19, 2015, the House of Representatives considered H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act. Regrettably, I was unable to be present for the vote. However, had I been present, I would have supported the final passage of H.R. 4038.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. The great American philosopher Ron White has a saying, and it says, ``You can't fix stupid.'' So I guess that is the reason we can't fix the QM rule that has come from the CFPB because it is stupid. Here is the reason why. Why would we not want to give a bank or a credit union the ability to loan somebody money when they are taking 100 percent of the responsibility for the person to pay back that loan? That is exactly what H.R. 1210 does. It says that a small bank, a community bank, or credit union--I don't really care who it is--is willing to put up their own money to somebody that they may know in their community that might not have the ability to have credit otherwise to be able to buy a house. I had that personal experience. Before I went in the building business, the only thing that I had was a home. So I went and I paid about 13 percent interest. I probably paid a number of points at closing to be able to open up my building business. In doing that, I was able to do that and I was able to pay back that loan. But had these rules been in effect, that would not have been possible to do. There are other Americans and there are other people out there waiting to get their foothold in society by buying a house, becoming part of the American Dream. And, to me, part of that dream is home ownership. So the philosopher is right. You can't fix stupid. The CFPB has come up with many stupid rules, but I have got to give this one the crown, because why we would want to keep people from having credit and the ability to prosper and to move on and to grow in their life and provide shelter for their family is beyond me.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, to the gentleman from Frog Jump, if he would read section 2(e)(7)(c) to (d), he would understand that my amendment tries to amend the procedure. Now, I know he wrote the perfect bill, but I am trying to help the gentleman perfect it. Mr. Chairman, the other thing is I never saw the gentleman's bill. I never had a chance to amend the gentleman's bill. If the gentleman had allowed the open process--the right process--that the gentleman from Oklahoma talked about, then I would have had a chance to have offered my amendment; but, unfortunately, they chose to have a closed rule. So don't talk to me about process, because the process has not been followed here. I just want to make it clear that all I am trying to do is the same thing as everybody here is doing. I am trying to represent my constituents. I think I deserve a chance to do that, and I think we deserve a chance to perfect the bill that Mr. Fincher and the others brought to the floor under a discharge petition. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, I don't know what the gentleman is talking about with regard to reality because the reality is that my constituents are losing jobs, and that is not fair. I believe the gentleman is an attorney. All we want is an opportunity to go to the people who can make a decision and ask them to make that decision within 60 days. I am not going to go to the attorney who is fighting me and say: ``Hey, here is my analysis--or here is my thing. Take it, and give it to somebody else.'' That is the fox looking after the henhouse, and that is not the way we need to operate. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Emirates Airline probably has the money to pay for these wide-bodied jets. But I respect Mr. Heck from Washington because he is fighting for people that work in his district. That is what I am trying to do. I am trying to work and fight for those folks in my district. All we want is an opportunity to take an analysis, a real analysis, not one that the Ex-Im Bank called Boeing and said: You know what? You need to revise this number so we can understand or we can make a claim for the analysis that you need the money. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, I want to clarify a few things. This is not a poison pill. My amendment is not a poison pill. My friend from Oklahoma said that he wanted to play by the rules. That is what I want to do. I have got an amendment that I never had an opportunity to submit. Do you know why? Because of the discharge position. The authors of the discharge petition chose to have it brought up under a closed rule. So I never got a chance. My 700,000 people never had a chance. Now, I don't know how many people in Frog Jump, Tennessee, buy wide- bodied planes. I am sure there are probably one or two that buy them. But I have got 6,000 Delta employees, both current and retired, that live in my district. What this amendment does is it allows a fair playing field to where you can go to the board of directors at Ex-Im Bank and give your analysis, not to the Ex-Im--that is almost like giving your complaint to the opposition's attorney. We want to go to the board because it is not fair. Mr. Chairman, I include in the record a Wall Street Journal article called ``Boeing Helped Craft Own Loan Rule.'' They have been cooking the books. All we want to do is have a chance where we can go to the board of directors and present our case because, when Ex-Im is cooking the books with Boeing, that doesn't leave us much of a chance. [From the Wall Street Journal, Mar. 12, 2015] Boeing Helped Craft Own Loan Rule (By Brody Mullins) Washington.--When the Export-Import Bank sought to respond to critics with tighter rules for aircraft sales, it reached out to a company with a vested interest in the outcome: Boeing Co., the biggest beneficiary of the bank's assistance. For months in 2012, according to about 50 pages of emails reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, the bank worked with Boeing to write rules that would satisfy critics in Congress and the domestic commercial airline industry--while leaving most sales of Boeing's airplanes to foreign carriers unscathed. Ex-Im Bank, which helps finance the purchase of U.S. exports through loans and guarantees, is the target of Republicans who want to kill it, in part because they say it mostly provides subsidies to America's largest companies. The Boeing emails will add fuel to that fight. The previously unreported documents, obtained through an open-records request, show how the two sides swapped ideas, drafts and data on sales of wide-body airplanes. Ex-Im Bank officials pushed their Boeing counterparts for information. Boeing suggested changes to the bank's draft proposal. They reveal an extraordinary level of coordination between public officials and corporate executives. In a message one Saturday morning, Bob Morin, then the bank's head of aircraft financing, sent a plea: ``If Boeing expects Ex-Im Bank to continue supporting wide-body aircraft, we need to get this right.'' When Congress renewed the bank's charter in 2012, the bank was required to publish its methodology for determining which transactions were significant enough to trigger an additional ``economic-impact review'' and, potentially, rejection. The requirement didn't specifically include aircraft purchases, but Delta Air Lines Inc. and some lawmakers wanted the bank to include them in the rules, too. That's when Boeing and Ex-Im Bank started discussing how the rule should be written. Many of the emails between the bank and Boeing deal with the guidelines the bank was creating to determine which aircraft transactions would trigger the additional review. The collaboration appears to have worked. In the nearly two years since the rule went into effect, no Boeing sales have been nixed as a result. Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush recently joined the chorus of conservatives questioning the bank's purpose. In late February, he told a gathering of the Club for Growth, a conservative advocacy group, that the government should consider whether this kind of financing ``should be phased out.'' The bank's current authorization expires June 30 and the lobbying battle is heating up. Its usual supporters include lawmakers of both parties, including House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, major labor unions, manufacturers and Wall Street banks. Officials at Boeing declined to comment on the emails. In general, said Tim Myers, president of Boeing Capital Corp., Boeing's aircraft-financing unit, ``it would be only natural'' for the bank to ask for input since Boeing is the only U.S. maker of wide-body commercial aircraft. Tim Keating, the company's top Washington lobbyist, called the interaction an example of how government should work: ``There doesn't have to be a full hostile relationship between the regulator and the regulated,'' he said. Matt Bevens, a spokesman for Ex-Im, said other countries have their own export-financing agencies, but Ex-Im is the only one that assesses the economic impact of its transactions. Mr. Bevens, speaking on behalf of the individual employees named in the emails, said the bank developed the new guidelines voluntarily and that it would have been ``irresponsible if Ex-Im Bank had failed to consult the only American manufacturer of commercial aircraft.'' Bank supporters say foreign airlines would buy planes from European rival Airbus Group NV without Ex-Im financing. Boeing customers are among the biggest recipients of Ex-Im Bank loan guarantees. In the most recent fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2014, the bank helped Boeing sell 61 wide-body planes to foreign airlines by guaranteeing more than $7 billion in loans. Overall, in that fiscal year the bank guaranteed $20.5 billion in financing for U.S. exports. The bank charges a fee on its loans and made $675 million in profit that it sent to the U.S. Treasury. Yet while the bank helps some American exporters, it irks other domestic firms. Delta, for one, says the bank's financing gives rivals such as Emirates Airline, Thai Airways International PLC and Air India an advantage in their aircraft purchases that isn't available to U.S. carriers. For some foreign airlines, Ex-Im Bank's financing can be less expensive than a standard commercial loan. It's amid such criticisms that the Ex-Im Bank and Boeing collaboration began. In August 2012, a bank official forwarded a draft proposal on the economic-impact trigger to several senior executives at Boeing and its aircraft- financing unit. ``Please note that this is an internal Ex-Im document still in draft form, but we wanted to get your input on several aspects of it prior to further developing the paper,'' wrote Claire Avett, an Ex-Im policy analyst on Friday, Aug. 31. ``We look forward to working closely with you to define concrete next steps to be able to achieve these ends,'' she wrote, referring to imminent internal deadlines. The next morning, Saturday, Sept. 1, a second bank official sent a follow-up email. ``We do not have a lot of time,'' wrote Mr. Morin, the Ex-Im official in charge of aircraft financing. The emails suggest Ex-Im Bank officials wanted Boeing's help to write guidelines that would limit the number of additional reviews on aircraft purchases. ``Subjecting and applying other transactions to detailed analysis under economic impact procedures has had the effect of killing most of those deals,'' wrote Mr. Morin, in the Sept. 1 email. ``Accordingly, it is very important that we establish the correct procedures here,'' he said. Mr. Bevens, the Ex-Im Bank spokesman, says those deals were killed by delays and uncertainty created by the review process, not the review process itself. He said those delays are why Boeing and its suppliers opposed subjecting aircraft purchases to potentially lengthy scrutiny. A few hours later on Sept. 1, a senior official at Boeing Capital responded that the company was working ``to look at what data we can pull together.'' The Boeing official, Kristi Kim, director of aircraft financial services at Boeing Capital, said the company was building model impact studies ``to see how the data would vary.'' Tim Neale, a spokesman for Boeing, said the company's goal was to ensure that the reviews were ``based on reasonable criteria.'' On Sept. 6, James Cruse, a senior vice president at Ex-Im's policy and planning group, wrote to Boeing to thank the company for its input. ``We recognize we are pushing and pressing you in ways that are not in your natural strike zone (and may verge toward ridiculous),'' he wrote. The next month, the partners delved into nitty-gritty details, including the time frame that would be used to assess economic impact (shortening the time period to 12 months might be best, one Boeing official suggested). They settled on 12 months. They also discussed who would conduct the reviews, if they were ever triggered. Boeing itself was an option because it had access to industry data. Other options were Ex-Im Bank or an outside consulting firm. In one email where the two sides discussed who should conduct the analysis, Ms. Avett, the Ex-Im Bank policy analyst, asks for input on ``what would be most palatable to Boeing.'' In the end, Ex-Im Bank took the job of performing the reviews. In the two years since the new rules went into effect, Ex-Im has helped finance roughly 50 aircraft deals. Just one of those--a lease deal of Boeing planes by Aeroflot Russian Airlines--triggered the detailed economic review. Ultimately, that transaction was approved.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, I would just like to tell the gentlewoman that it is not 4 months. It is 60 days. Is 60 days too much to ask that you could go present your case in front of the board of directors? I think that is just fair. To the gentlewoman from California, I understand, but you are just reading something that your staff has given you. It is not 4 months. This is a new idea. I never got the chance to offer this amendment. Mr. Fincher, with the discharge petition, evidently wrote a perfect bill. I have been doing this for 25 years. I have never seen a perfect bill. We are trying to perfect the bill that Mr. Fincher wrote and that the discharge petition brought to the floor on a closed rule where nobody could have any amendments. All I am trying to do is get a fair shake for my folks, just like Mr. Heck of Washington is trying to get a fair shake for his. Give me the opportunity. Give us an opportunity to do that. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, may I ask how much time is remaining?

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I come today to honor the Newnan- Coweta Chamber of Commerce on being named the Nation's Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The members, volunteers, leaders, and friends of this chamber are what makes this organization so successful and, in turn, allow our small businesses to continue to be successful. Because of this partnership, Coweta County is fortunate to have many businessowners who have achieved the American Dream by opening their own business. Our businesses are also examples of how investing in our local community and economy can have great impact throughout the area. And I mean not just the store owners, but the loyal customers who buy and source local goods and services. Healthy small businesses mean a healthy local economy and stable jobs for our community. I thank the Newnan-Coweta Chamber for providing guidance, advocacy, and encouragement to our businesses as we fight our way out of a struggling economy and back onto a path for prosperity. So, again, congratulations to the Newnan-Coweta Chamber on being the number one chamber of commerce as named by the ACCE's Chamber of the Year, and I wish you the best for continued success.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. I rise in opposition to H.R. 597, to the Export-Import Bank, and to the process Members have used to circumvent regular order and the amendment process of the House. I have more Delta employees in my district than any other district in the United States. Their jobs are at risk because the Export-Import Bank picks winners and losers in the American economy. When the Ex-Im Bank finances a Boeing airplane for Emirates Airlines--as if Emirates Airlines would need any financing--the Bank is telling pilots and flight attendants and mechanics and others in my district that their jobs don't matter to the government. That is wrong. My colleagues from Washington State and other areas want you to believe that they are fighting for the jobs in their district, and I am sure they are. I am here fighting for the jobs of my constituents. My colleagues want their constituents to have jobs, but not my constituents. Well, I have news for my colleagues. I care about everyone's job. I care about Boeing jobs, I care about Caterpillar jobs, and, yes, I care about Delta jobs. I want the free market and the quality of U.S. products to dictate who gets contracts. This is how America was built-- quality products made by quality employees stamped ``Made in America.'' Three years ago, Congress directed the Export-Import Bank to focus on an economic impact analysis to ensure the Bank knew the consequences of their lending decisions. Unfortunately, the Export-Import Bank acts as if they are above the requirements of Congress. Instead of following the law, the leadership at the Export-Import Bank colluded with Boeing to design an economic impact analysis to keep the status quo in place. Mr. Speaker, if you don't believe me, the House Financial Services Committee has the emails to prove it. These are the bureaucrats that my colleagues are up here protecting. It is shameful, truly shameful. To add insult to injury, my colleagues refuse to allow to offer amendments to defend my constituents. These are the very same people who cry ``regular order'' yet won't deny the Members to have an ability to fight for their constituents. I ask everybody for a ``no'' vote.