Peter Welch

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Sarah Carpenter of Burlington, Vermont for her distinguished career in affordable housing and her tireless dedication to improving the lives of Vermonters. At the end of 2018, Sarah will retire as Executive Director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) after 20 years of leading that organization. Sarah's extraordinary career has created opportunities for thousands of Vermonters to achieve their dream of owning a home. Since its inception in 1974, VHFA's main goal has been to finance low- cost and flexible mortgages to individuals seeking affordable housing. VHFA has helped over 29,000 Vermonters and their families to purchase primary residences. Sarah leads a team of 38 employees that provides diverse and innovative services. They finance mortgages, coordinate rental housing programs, analyze housing market data, and inform state housing policy. During Sarah's tenure, the volume of VHFA mortgages provided to Vermonters grew by $1.3 billion. Sarah and VHFA's leadership has influence far beyond Vermont's borders. In 2000, VHFA successfully campaigned for Congress to increase the caps on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and private activity bonds. Additionally, she advocated for state tax credit programs that supplement the federal funds due to Vermont's dire need for a greater supply of affordable rental housing. Sarah's contributions to the housing community began long before her time at VHFA. From 1983 to 1998, she served as the Executive Director of Cathedral Square Corporation, an organization that has become a national model in providing service-enriched housing for older adults and people with special needs. Sarah has also served in leadership roles on numerous boards including Leading Age, the National Council of State Housing Agencies, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and Fletcher Allen Healthcare (now the University of Vermont Medical Center). It comes as no surprise that Sarah has been the recipient of a number of awards including the Government Service Award from NeighborWorks America and the Vermont YWCA Susan B. Anthony A ward for Woman of the Year. Sarah is a native of Burlington, Vermont, and a graduate of University of Vermont and Harvard University. We are in the midst of a housing crisis across this country. Chronic homelessness is alarmingly high, people are paying an ever-increasing portion of their paychecks on housing, and homeownership is out of reach for many. Despite the challenges, Sarah Carpenter and her colleagues throughout the state of Vermont have continued to make progress through innovative approaches and deep collaboration. Sarah has left her mark on the housing community in Vermont and the lives of many who have benefited from her good work. Mr. Speaker, Sarah's exceptional work on behalf of Vermont communities will surely be missed, and I wish her well in her retirement.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Energy Efficiency Day and recognize the great economic and environmental benefits the United States has realized since the first energy efficiency policies were enacted more than 40 years ago. On Friday, October 5, Americans from every corner of our country will join together to raise awareness of energy efficiency, celebrate the prosperity and innovation these policies have helped foster, and appreciate the work--past and present--of leaders in business, the non-profit sector, and government that has doubled the energy productivity of our economy since 1980. I am proud to count myself among them as a committed advocate for national energy efficiency policy. Since the first energy efficiency policies were enacted in the 1970s, improvements in technologies and practices have resulted in energy savings worth more than 60 quadrillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) (quads) and avoided costs worth more than $800 million annually. Today, the energy efficiency sector boasts a workforce of about 2.25 million Americans (including about 11,000 Vermonters). And the federal government--the largest energy user on the planet--has worked with private-sector partners on investments that have lowered the energy intensity of government facilities by over 47 percent. These savings are real, and without the gains in energy efficiency we would waste more energy, generate more harmful emissions, release more pollutants into the environment, rely more on foreign oil, and spend more on costly power plants and transmission lines. Any way you look at it, energy efficiency is a wise investment and a worthwhile policy goal of the United States. As many of my colleagues know, energy efficiency has a storied history of bipartisan support in Congress. Since the Energy Policy and Conservation Act was passed in 1975, Congress has provided sweeping updates to federal energy efficiency policy six times and approved smaller measures many times. The last stand-alone energy efficiency legislation enacted, I am proud to say, was one I worked on with my colleague and good friend David McKinley of West Virginia, who sponsored the bill. We have made great progress over these four decades, but Energy Efficiency Day should be a reminder of our commitment to continue pressing on for our collective benefit. We must do more, achieve more, and save more--all while using less. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in celebrating Energy Efficiency Day and working across the aisle and across the Capitol to craft the next set of policies we need to remain energy-efficient and productive in the 21st Century.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, it is with some sadness that I have to say I believe this is an absolutely terrible tax bill. The economy is growing. That has been a claim that has been made by proponents of this tax policy. But it is growing for the few. It is not growing for the many. We have the lowest unemployment rate we have had in years. We have had the highest profits in corporations that we have had since before the Great Depression. Yet, right now, in this country, childhood poverty is increasing relentlessly. Relentlessly. How does that happen when we have such a great so-called economy? It happens because we have created the hydraulic system that is transferring money from the low income and middle class to the very wealthy. That is what this Congress has done. And there are consequences to the children who are now in poverty and will be in poverty, but also to those everyday families who aren't on the right side of the digital divide and whose wages for the past 20 years have been stagnant or declining, even as the things they need--college education for their kids, prescription medication for their families-- those prices are exploding. And by the way, Pharma gets a huge giveaway. They have got the highest profits they have ever had, and we are passing a tax bill that gives them more. We are shoveling money to them when they are sticking price increases to all of us. This doesn't happen by accident. This has nothing to do with the so- called entrepreneurial economy. This has to do with a Congress that has no conscience, that doesn't stand up for everyday people and say: We want policies that let you have a chance. Mr. Speaker, defeat this bill.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. James Baker of Arlington, Vermont for his distinguished career in law enforcement and his deep and abiding commitment to improving the lives of Vermonters. Jim's exemplary career spanned 40 years. As commander of the Vermont State Police and director of the Vermont Police Academy, he put to good use his strong leadership skills and his noble commitment to public service. He worked hard to ensure the fair delivery of justice and an end to discrimination and misconduct whenever it arose. Shortly after retiring from the Vermont Police Academy in 2009, Jim was recruited to fill important positions in communities in need of new law enforcement leadership. He served as acting police chief in Manchester, then took the helm of the Rutland Police Department. In Rutland, Jim worked countless hours to tackle the opioid epidemic that hit the city hard. He played a major role in the creation of Project VISION, an effective grassroots community collaborative that coordinates local efforts to combat addiction and crime. He also transformed the culture of the police department, while identifying and rooting out the causes of crime and addiction. Jim's lasting legacy is a coalition of hundreds of residents, active to this day, who address community challenges head-on to improve the quality of life in Rutland. Jim's tenure yielded positive results for Rutland. Calls for police service dropped and the city experienced a double-digit decline in burglaries and property crimes. Resident surveys demonstrated remarkably higher satisfaction with their neighborhoods. Most recently, Jim returned to Arlington to help revitalize his hometown, working with volunteers to ensure that no one falls through the cracks. Jim Baker has earned his reputation as the ``Mr. Fix-It'' of the Vermont law enforcement community. Countless Vermonters have benefitted from his tireless work, and our state is better off because of it. And now, as he battles cancer, Jim is doing so with the characteristic grit, grace, determination, and sense of humor that all of us who have had the good fortune to work with him will recognize. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me today in sending James Baker of Arlington, Vermont our best wishes and thanking him for his lifetime of service to Vermont.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, on August 12, 2018 the Town of Norwich, Vermont lost a longtime member of the community, John F. Girard. He was revered for his service to the town, its school and especially its children. I would like to include in the Record the eulogy delivered by Dan Fraser, a former student and lifelong friend. In Memory of John F. Girard--Aug. 25, 2018. It has been a rough few weeks for all of us, especially the Girard, Adams, Capps and Culverhouse families. Mr. G. was a man I knew extremely well. The family asked me to speak some about the time when his children were growing up. The Girard and Fraser families go back almost 50 years! The first four Girards and Frasers are all the same age-- Johnny--sorry John--you will always be Johnny to me and my brother John, Lauren and I, Mikey--Mike and Rob, Linsey and Mat--something in the water that year? Linsey spelled with no D and Mat spelled with only 1 T. Then my sister Jen completed out the team. Norwich was not as large as it is today, there was no internet--some families only had one car--like both the Girards and the Frasers. We grew up in a time without daycare and Mrs. G and my Mom stayed home raising all of us kids and I would say they did a pretty darn good job! The Girards moved here in 1966 from Somerville, MA, when Mr. G was hired to teach at the Marion Cross School. My dad returned from Vietnam in 1972. Ironically enough, it was at St. Francis of Assisi Church where our families first met-- right over there behind us. Mrs. G noticed my mom as a new comer at church and that was the beginning of a lifelong friendship that continues on among our families today. Every first communion, every confirmation, every wedding and birth--our families gathered to celebrate. In addition, every Christmas Eve--the tradition was that we went to mass and then back to the Girards for dinner and an evening of fun. All of us kids would wonder what gifts we might get in the morning. Mrs. G's famous homemade eggnog, spinach squares, shrimp, and lasagna were enjoyed by all. Mr. G would entertain us all or we would sit and watch a Boston sports team play on TV--he could never contain his excitement. When there were not holidays or celebrations, it still meant we would go to the Girards to hang out or they would come to our house. In the winter, it was sledding and building snowmen outside. During the summer it was riding our Green Machine big wheels for hours on end tormenting the old ladies around Jones Circle with all the noise they made. Green Machines--the gift from last Christmas--Mr. G put together 4 of them for us to all share. And we rode bikes on the trails--in the wooded lot behind the Girard's house before Mascoma Bank put in their parking lot and paved it. Of course there were Lou's donuts on special occasions, with 9 kids we could polish off 3 dozen pretty quick. The Girards-- are simply the best--as all of us here today already know. Calendar squares--here in this envelope are calendar squares from the 2019 calendar. If there are not enough--just pick a date sometime next year. We are all here to pay tribute and honor Mr. G. We need this tribute to carry on so on your date--you do something for some member of his family. Send a card, flowers, make a phone call, drop off a dessert, a meal, or pay a visit and share a story. All year long the Girards will be reminded of how amazing Mr. G was and he will always be remembered. Lauren--this one is for you: Now what about the jars of peanut butter and jelly and boxes of crackers. Mr. G's favorite snack--peanut butter and jelly on crackers. Thank you to everyone who brought one of these items--Lauren they are here, as you wished--enough for all the various Girard families to take home and any extra will be donated to The Haven in his honor. As I look out across this field, I see a crowd, some old, some young, some locals and some with roots here who traveled from great distances. Mr. G the impact you have had on so many, the footprint you have left, the learning and life skills you so enthusiastically shared will last for generations. How do you honor a man like Mr. G--A legend in his own time who in his lifetime already has a scoreboard in Tracy Hall, the Marion Cross School gym and a road named after him. He was the first Citizen of the Year, and here we sit at Girard field. It is often said that it takes a village. Well Mr. G, you for over 52 years, you have been here for our village-- Norwich. Today, is payback! The village of Norwich is here for you and the Girard family. I am so proud of how Norwich has really rallied on this one. Thank you all who helped make this happen. We are going to start backward with the youngest first: Linsey--as a special tribute for you and your family to honor your father: on May 8, 2019 there will be a wine tasting to support The John Girard Fund established by you and your siblings at The Norwich Rec. Dept. This will be an annual Event. Mike--as a special tribute to you and your family to honor your father, and to tie in with your work in education as a teacher, Marion Cross School has declared Nov. 4th to be John F. Girard Day and he will be honored each year on this date. This date was not chosen at random, but we know this date has a double significance to your family. Lauren--as the most local, as a special tribute to you and your family to honor your father--it seems fitting that Dan & Whit's will have an ice cream cone day for Mr. G. We will donate 100% of sales today to the John Girard Fund at the Norwich Rec. Dept. established by you and your siblings in his honor. A wonderful Norwich couple will match all funds raised today. Please be sure to stop after this event to support the effort. This will be a yearly event, in the future it will be held on Aug. 12, the day of his passing so that his memory lives on forever. John--as a tribute to you and your family to honor your father--Mascoma Bank has donated a $2,500.00 Scholarship in honor of Mr. G. This will be awarded to a graduating Hanover High School Athlete or athletes. This individual must have attended Marion Cross School. You all know for me, it is about keeping it local--so for the extended Girard family--as a tribute to you all, the businesses in the Norwich community have also been impacted by Mr. G and the Girard Family. Aug. 12, will be Mr. Girard Day in Norwich--the following businesses will contribute and make a donation based on sales in his honor to The John Girard Fund established by his children at The Norwich Rec. Dept. The Norwich Inn, Carpenter and Main Restaurant, Diane's Casual Cuts, the Norwich Bookstore, Dan & Whits. I have not had a chance to reach out to all Norwich businesses, so we welcome all businesses from any town to join us and participate. The intent of this day is only intended to increase the funds in John Girard Norwich Rec Dept. account, the fund established by his children--please do not turn it into anything more than the business community supporting this effort. Please reach out to me for details. This will be an annual event. Now for the Matriarch of this wonderful family: Mrs. Cathy Girard--Mrs. G--as a special tribute to you and honor your husband--this speech will be offered to the Norwich Historical Society and more importantly read on the floor of Congress and entered into the Congressional Record in Washington, DC. Mr. G will be eternally honored at the national level. Nothing could be more fitting. Special thanks to Norwich resident and Representative Peter Welch for making this happen. Mr. G I know you hated being in the spotlight but look at what you have created. Mr. G you changed lives. Mr. G you may have left us, but your spirit will live on with us forever. Godspeed Mr. G. Thank you, Dan Fraser

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Wayside Restaurant in Berlin, Vermont. This year marks the Wayside's 100th anniversary of serving up exceptional and affordable home-style food to customers from central Vermont and beyond. A century ago, founder Effie Ballou first started serving soups, snacks and meals out of a shack straddling the border between Berlin and Montpelier. She prepared the food at her small house just up the hill. Today, the Wayside--with a lot more seats than in 1918--is still serving up some of the best home-cooked food around. Its website proudly and accurately proclaims, ``Yankee Cooking at its Best Since 1918.'' On the occasion of this important milestone, the restaurant joins an eclectic group of some 240 American restaurants that have achieved centennial status. Mr. Speaker, I'm warning you. Take just a glance at the Wayside's diverse menu and your mouth will water: old-fashioned country breakfast, chicken pie, country fried steak, meatloaf, casseroles, fresh muffins and home-made pies. But the Wayside is so much more than a good restaurant. For the thousands of Vermonters and visitors who walk through its doors every year, it provides comfort, fellowship and a sense of community rivaled by few. While dining on good food, customers catch up with friends and neighbors, trade gossip, and debate current events. Owners Brian and Karen Zecchinelli have been at the helm for over 20 years. The restaurant has been in Karen's family for over 50 years. Their employees are familiar and friendly faces. Many have been on the job for ten years or more. And in a tribute to their good service, the aprons of retired employees hang proudly in the rafters. The Wayside Restaurant has been part of the fabric of Vermont for 100 years. It is a shining example of a small business committed to good service, quality products, and socially responsible operations. I urge all Members of the House of Representatives to stop by the Wayside if you find yourself navigating the hills of central Vermont. But be careful--you won't want to leave.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, we have a carbon tax. It is invisible, it is relentless, it is punitive, and it is entirely avoidable. According to NOAA, in 2017, the U.S. had 16 disasters with damage exceeding a billion dollars each. With three devastating hurricanes, extreme wildfires, hail, flooding, tornados, and drought, the United States tallied a record high bill for weather-related disasters, $306 billion. That is a carbon tax. Western wildfires, fanned by hot, dry conditions, racked up $18 billion in damage, triple the previous U.S. wildfire record. That is a carbon tax. The U.S. has sustained, between 1980 and 2017, we had an average billion-dollar events of six a year; in the last 5 years, it has been close to 12. In the coming decade, economic losses from extreme weather, combined with the health cost of air pollution, spiral upwards to at least $360 billion every single year. That is a carbon tax. The second thing I want to say is this: A confident nation faces its challenges. It doesn't deny them. If we acknowledge that we have a climate crisis, we can create jobs by solving it. Energy efficiency, renewable energy, storage batteries, all of these things that are being embraced by Vermont entrepreneurs are resulting in the biggest growth of jobs in our State, which is in the renewable energy sector. So we can make a better economy by acknowledging our problem. And, third, I want to speak to Mr. Jenkins because he represents some of the hardest working, best people in this country, and those are the West Virginia coal miners. They kept the lights on in Vermont for us for a century, and I thank them. And it is why I worked with Mr. McKinley to make certain those coal miners got their healthcare benefits and why I am continuing to fight so that those coal miners get their pensions. But we can help them with a carbon tax that returns all of whatever it is they contributed back to them and their communities so they can have a future.

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to make in order the Quigley amendment to restore funds to prevent Russian interference in our elections.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman as a good partner, as well, and I thank Mr. Calvert for his consideration. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chairman, Lake Champlain is one of the natural wonders of New England and, indeed, an international treasure. It is a watershed that includes New York, Vermont, and the Province of Quebec. To protect this unique natural and economic resource, Congress enacted legislation in 1990 under the bipartisan leadership of Democrat Patrick Leahy and Republican Jim Jeffords that led to the creation of the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Over the years, the basin program has worked with private organizations, local communities, and individuals on both sides of the border to coordinate and fund efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin's water quality, fisheries, wetlands, and wildlife recreation. It has been a great example of a locally driven program working from the ground up with the help of a Federal partner. It has been a tremendous success, and the purpose of this amendment is to maintain the funding at the level that it was at before. I have joined 28 years later after Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy and Republican Jim Jeffords with my Republican colleague from across the lake, Representative Stefanik, in this amendment. It is important to both sides of the lake and the Province of Quebec, who is not here represented, but here in heart. So I ask for the support of this amendment, and I want to say to my colleague, Elise Stefanik, from across Lake Champlain, that we think the view of New York is beautiful, and we share a commitment to maintaining the beauty of that lake. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik).

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

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chairman, across the country, an invasive beetle known as the emerald ash borer has been wreaking havoc on ash trees. It was first discovered in 2002 in Michigan, but since then, it has spread to 33 States, killing millions of trees, inflicting severe harm on the forest products industry, and costing municipalities and property owners millions of dollars. Ash trees infested with the emerald ash borer suffer nearly 100 percent fatality rates over a 3- to 5-year period. At this point, there is no known effective treatment. Earlier this year, the emerald ash borer was discovered in Vermont. While the discovery was not a surprise, the news is devastating. Forests are a central part of our economy, our landscape, and our way of life. It is going to be difficult to eradicate the pest, but there are steps we can take to contain its spread. Mr. Chairman, I thank the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Carter, and Ms. McCollum for acknowledging the threat this invasive species poses. The report language accompanying the bill recommends a $19.5 million increase to forest health management under the State and private forestry account for addressing high-priority invasive species, pests, and diseases, including the emerald ash borer. I support that increase. My amendment specifies that, of this amendment, at least $5 million should be used to help mitigate the spread of and eradicate the emerald ash borer. Ultimately, a successful response will require a strong partnership between Federal, State, and private sector stakeholders. This amendment is a good first step to ensure the Federal Government is doing its part. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Carter, I thank Ms. McCollum, and I thank the Appropriations Committee for their support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WELCH

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

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would increase funding for the Department of Defense health programs by $1 million to improve coordination between DOD and the VA on research and findings related to toxic exposure to burn pits. As you know, burn pits were commonly used on U.S. military sites during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to burn all types of waste from chemicals, paint, and medical and human waste to munitions, petroleum, plastics, and rubber. But, also, as you know, many members of the military, who were exposed to burn pits, are beginning to experience negative health effects from the toxic smoke that they inhaled while on duty. That is why I am offering this amendment: to increase cross-agency communication and research so that the Departments can assist those suffering more aggressively and quickly. On May 7, I met in Vermont with a group of National Guard members, led by Pat Cram, who have been impacted by burn pit exposure. Pat is the wife of Sergeant Major Mike Cram of the Vermont National Guard, who died this past December from prostate cancer, believed to be a direct result of his exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he did several tours. Sergeant Major Cram first deployed to Iraq in 2004 with a group of MPs from the 42nd Infantry Division of the Vermont National Guard. They joined up with the 278th Tennessee National Guard Calvary in Iraq. All 21 soldiers from this group, who deployed together for 18 months, returned home safely, thank God. But since their safe return, that same group has lost two members from prostate cancer, and another has been treated for it. They believe, and some of the medical professionals believe, that the explanation is that it occurred as a result of exposure to burn pits. This funding would provide some resources necessary for the VA and Pentagon to work on the issue together effectively so that we can address the direct relationship between burn pits and severe health conditions. This amendment idea aligns with a June 2018 GAO recommendation that highlighted the need for these Departments to work together to solve this issue. This is reminiscent, potentially, of the Agent Orange situation where, for many years, people were trying to figure out what the cause of the cancers were, and it turned out, after a lot of investigation, that it was directly related to Agent Orange. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Granger, who, on occasion, I have traveled with and whose service I have really respected, and Ranking Member Visclosky, for their attention to this issue and willingness to help. Mr. Chairman, I thank the great group of Members who worked with me on this amendment, including Representatives Soto, Bilirakis, Gabbard, Wenstrup, Ruiz, and Rosen. Mr. Chairman, I urge support for my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for her support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Gray Family and their 4 Corners Farm in South Newbury, Vermont for a remarkable 40 years of growing quality food for Vermonters. For owners Bob and Kim Gray, July 1, 2018 also marks their 40th wedding anniversary. Like many farming partnerships, theirs is a tested one based on mutual admiration and respect, a major factor in their collective success in growing food, a farm, and a family. Their story is unique. Both Bob and Kim are former members of the U.S. Ski Team. Bob represented the United States in cross country skiing at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. Kim was a competitive World Cup downhill ski racer. Both Vermonters, they met in 1975 while training. Their mutual dream of running a farm took root. Kim studied agriculture at Vermont Technical College. In 1978 they got married and decided to channel their athletic energy and skill into farming the land in Vermont's Connecticut River Valley. They started growing produce in Hartland's Four Corners where they rented a 40-acre plot and sold produce at the farmers' market in Norwich. By the fall of 1981, they had saved up enough money to make a down payment on an old farmhouse in South Newbury. The following year, they moved the farm there, started a family, and have been farming ever since. Today, the 4 Corners Farm is a family affair. Bob and Kim's sons, Peter and Charlie, together with Peter's partner Marie, all help manage the farm. Peter returned home to Vermont after receiving a degree from Montana State University and Charlie came home after serving in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps. Their daughter, Molly, a Vermont-educated lawyer, recently returned home to help with the farm's administration. Their step-children, Betsy and Travis, have also helped over the years. As life can sometimes do, Kim was thrown a curve ball about 20 years ago when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Despite the infinite daily obstacles, she continues to manage and operate the farm with sheer tenacity and an indomitable spirit. Mr. Speaker, there are no words to adequately describe the beauty of this farm and the great pride the Gray family takes in producing high quality food for Vermonters. They grow fruits and vegetables on roughly 50 acres including a pick your own strawberry operation. For over 20 years, Kim has also managed the farm's jersey cow operation. Their market overflows with the freshest garden vegetables, fruits, milk, cheese, and meat all grown and raised in their fields. They still maintain a stand at the Norwich Farmers' Market and deliver to coops and restaurants in the area. Their motto, ``All we sell is our own,'' says it all. What perhaps is most remarkable is the Gray family's 40 years of stewardship of the land and community. They continue to nurture and reinvest in the land and the farm to ensure it can produce food for future generations. Over the years, they have employed and mentored hundreds of employees, sharing their knowledge and promoting a farming way of life. For Vermont's farmers, marketing their products can be tough. If not for the state's commitment to and support for its farms and farming families, 4 Corners Farm, and many others, would not be around today. The 4 Corners Farm is a product of community-supported agriculture and of a loyal and local following equally invested in good stewardship of the land and the production of local food.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, is this institution broken or has our leadership fled the field? This rule will deprive the House of having a debate on the Dreamers. Eighty-two percent of the American people think these innocent kids who came here should be given legal status. The leadership has refused to allow us to debate. With the help of Mr. Denham, in a courageous display of independence, he has a discharge petition, the last remaining tool for a majority of this House to say to leadership: Give us a vote. Let us debate. But in an act of extraordinary irresponsibility--and I would say cowardice--the leadership is quelling, crushing, and incinerating the last vestige of independence in their own party. This rule takes away from the House that tool to rise up and say: We are ready to work for the American people and give legal status to the Dreamers. That is a disgrace. That is a reason why, if we care about ourselves as an institution responsible to the people who elected us, we will assert our insistence that we vote. Vote ``no'' on this.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, on June 25, 2018, Mrs. Karen Richard will retire after 31 years of service to the town of Colchester, Vermont. Mrs. Richard was elected in 1998 as Colchester Town Clerk and Treasurer after 11 years of work in the local assessor's office. She quickly led the town in replacing outdated voting machines and optimizing the town's election process. Perhaps her greatest contribution to the town was her efforts to digitize the town's land records. Because of Mrs. Richard, Colchester was one of the first towns in Vermont to digitize their land records and by the end of the year, all the records will be available for the public online. At a time when many municipal employees are being asked to go above and beyond for their residents, Mrs. Richard's leadership was transformational. Her hard work was recognized when she earned the awards of Vermont Clerk of the Year in 2007 and Vermont Treasurer of the Year in 2014. Outside of her elected role, she has been Chair of the Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association's Legislative Committee, a member of the Champlain Water District Board of Commissioners, and Clerk/Treasurer for Colchester Fire District No. 3. Mr. Speaker, her exceptional work on behalf of Vermont communities will surely be missed and I wish Mrs. Richard well in her retirement.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would increase the VA medical services account by $5 million for the purpose of strengthening the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. Burn pits, as you know, Mr. Chairman, were commonly used on U.S. military sites during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to burn all types of waste--from chemicals, paint, medical waste, and human waste to munitions, petroleum, plastics, and rubber. But, as you know, many members of the military who were exposed to burn pits are beginning to experience negative health effects from the toxic smoke that they inhaled. And that is why I am offering this amendment, to increase funding to address and assist those suffering more aggressively and quickly. On May 7, Mr. Chairman, I met with a group of Vermont National Guard members led by Pat Cram, who have been impacted by burn pit exposure. Pat is the wife of Sergeant Major Mike Cram of the Vermont National Guard who died this past December from prostate cancer that is believed to be a direct result of his exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sergeant Major Cram first deployed to Iraq in 2004 with a group of MPs from the 42nd Infantry Division of the Vermont National Guard. They joined up with the 278th Tennessee National Guard Calvary in Iraq. All 21 soldiers from this group that deployed together for 18 months returned home to their families safely. But since their safe return, this same group has lost two members from prostate cancer and another has been treated for it, and they believe their exposure to burn pit toxins is the reason. This group is still close, they stay in touch, their families support each other. I was so inspired to hear about how they have stuck together throughout the years. But those members that have not had the direct health issues that some of their comrades have are now wondering whether they, too, will get sick. This funding would provide resources to the VA to make necessary improvements to the registry and prepare for the long-term care for those affected veterans. It would also allow, Mr. Chairman, the VA to hire analysts and epidemiologists who can connect the registry entries to health outcomes, make necessary technological updates to the registry, and increase the funding for essential clinical research. The cost of a war must always include the cost of caring for the warrior, and this critical funding helps to do just that. I want to thank Chairman Carter and Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz for their attention to this issue and willingness to help. I urge support for my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Texas, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, the Trump administration has enacted a policy of stunning cruelty: cruel in its impact on innocent young children, cruel in its impact on terrified mothers seeking safety from violence and rape. The cruel policy: the aggressive and forceful practice of separating a child from her mother when that mother presents herself at our southern border for the sole purpose of seeking safety. The cruel policy, Mr. Speaker, is the Trump administration's decision--willful, voluntary, calculated decision--to make it a crime for a mother to do what mothers do everywhere and always: protect their children. Whatever challenges we face at the southern border, none will be solved by ripping families apart, sending a child to one place-- strange, unknown, unfamiliar--and the parents to another, neither knowing when, if ever, they will be reunited. This policy is not only cruel, it is unnecessary and ineffective. Mr. Speaker, the President must end this un-American cruelty now and forever.

Mr. WELCH

Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I support the underlying water resources development legislation. In communities across the country, our infrastructure is falling apart, as colleagues on both sides of the aisle have pointed out. This is evident in the state of our Nation's dams. In communities like Waterbury, Vermont, dams are rapidly aging and the risk of breach continues to grow. In 2016, Congress took a very positive step to address this issue with the passage of the WIIN Act. Section 1177 of the WIIN Act authorized funding for the Army Corps to rehabilitate some of the Nation's oldest Corps-constructed dams that are classified as high hazard potential. As you know, the failure of a dam that is so classified is anticipated to cause the loss of life. While section 1177 was a positive start, its limited authorization and per project cap have hindered its effectiveness. To that end, I want to thank Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio for their willingness to work with me to address this matter. Section 105 of the legislation before us addresses these shortcomings by increasing the provisions in authorization and giving dams greater authority to accrue Federal funds over multiple years. The benefits of these changes to communities like Waterbury, Vermont are very clear. In 2011, Mr. Speaker, Waterbury suffered a devastating flood during Hurricane Irene. Despite the damage that the village suffered--totally flooded--the flooding in Waterbury would have been far more catastrophic if it weren't for the Corps-built Waterbury Dam, a 1930s-era construction in need of significant repair. Section 105 will give the Corps the tools it needs to get work done rehabbing high- hazard dams like Waterbury across the country. Both parties agree we need to improve our infrastructure. This bill will take important steps to do that and address some of our most outdated, hazardous dams in this country. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.