Steve Womack

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this commonsense request from President Trump to responsibly rein in wasteful government spending. While the budgetary rescissions tool has not been utilized by the White House for some time, the President's decision to use this approach today should be commended. It importantly sheds light on the need for fiscal responsibility. The amount of this proposed rescission should also help us scale the challenge that is before us. Today, Mr. Speaker, the Nation's debt is in excess of $21 trillion. And that is not a stagnant figure; it is rapidly growing. It has grown in the short time that I have been at this microphone. This process helps us in Congress confront wasteful spending and draw back unspent funds on the discretionary side of our budget. However, in order to slow down spending and actually have a chance at paying down any debt, we have to acknowledge what is actually driving the majority of this spending. For years, Mr. Speaker, spending on mandatory programs has been on autopilot. It grows unchecked every year. Unsurprisingly, mandatory spending, including interest on the national debt, comprises the largest share of Federal spending. It might surprise a lot of people who listen to this program or read these remarks that, in the pie of Federal spending, mandatory spending accounts for 70 percent of that amount. Without reform, in the next 10 years, it will grow to nearly 80 percent of all Federal spending. Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker: There is a critical need for mandatory programs and the benefits they provide for vulnerable people. But unless we come up with real solutions, safety net programs like Social Security and Medicare will cease to exist.

Mr. WOMACK. So programs like Social Security and Medicare that people rely on now and those that they will rely on in the future will see those benefits quickly dwindle, CBO says, as early as 2026. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this modest effort on the discretionary side, but I caution that a sustainable and prosperous fiscal future is contingent on addressing the mandatory side of spending. The longer Congress takes, the more difficult those decisions will be.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from Louisiana for hosting this very important discussion about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As has been mentioned many times in the last several presentations, there is no question that the tax reform plan passed in this Chamber and in the Senate and signed into law by President Trump is working. Because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the economy is taking a turn for a brighter and much more prosperous future. Americans are getting to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. More jobs are being created, and wages are on the rise. Since tax reform was signed into law, the good news keeps coming for hardworking Americans. American businesses are more empowered to invest in their workforces, expand their operations, and simply give back to their communities. In fact, more than 500 businesses, and counting, have increased wages, improved employee benefits, or awarded bonuses. In Arkansas, the impact is very tangible. My friend from the Second District, French Hill, talked about what Entergy Arkansas has been able to do by providing energy customers across our State with $466 million in credits towards the cost of heating and cooling their homes. Families in my district--Arkansas' Third--are seeing their taxes go down by nearly $2,000 on average, and Third District companies are benefiting Americans nationwide. My friend from Arkansas, Mr. Crawford, talked about Walmart. Walmart is headquartered in my district. It increased its starting hourly wage to $11 for more than 1.5 million U.S. associates. The company also expanded parental leave benefits, provided a one-time cash bonus for eligible employees of up to $1,000, and is now empowering its employees to obtain a college education. All of this made possible by something as simple as allowing companies, businesses, and individuals to keep a little more of their hard-earned money. Tyson Foods in my district, America's market leader in protein production, headquartered in Springdale, is also using this bill to invest in its people. Tyson Foods provided a one-time bonus to more than 100,000 team members of between $500 and $1,000. So you can see, Mr. Speaker, thanks to tax reform, there is, indeed, a greater optimism about the Nation's economic future. This fact was confirmed by the Congressional Budget Office's annual baseline, which echoed this apparent optimism. As a direct result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, CBO expects that employment will rise, wages and income levels will increase, and potential output will grow. Now, who can be opposed to that? Even more good news. Unemployment, as has been mentioned, is at an 18-year low, and CBO expects businesses will continue to invest in the economy and, over the next 11 years, create nearly 1 million new jobs. Mr. Speaker, I was a proud supporter of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and I am proud of the benefits it has brought to the American people. I look forward to witnessing its long-lasting benefits for America.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a legend in Arkansas high school basketball. Charles Berry, one of the State's most successful coaches, is retiring this year after 57 years on the court. He is an Arkansas native, grew up in Huntsville, served in the United States Air Force, and returned home to begin a remarkable career as a teacher and coach, the last 50 years at his alma mater, Huntsville High School, in the gymnasium that now bears his name. The numbers speak for themselves: 1,367 career wins; 14 conference championships; six regional championships; two State titles, two times as a runner-up. He is a six-time Arkansas All-Star coach, and in 2007 was named the National Coach of the Year in girls basketball. His 2016 induction into the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame was automatic. His legacy as a coach is understood, but he is more than a coach. Charlie is a respected and dedicated mentor, educator, and person. He is simply one of the best. Thank you, Charlie, for your many years of service to your community, and happy retirement, my friend.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Chair, today, my colleagues and I will vote on H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018. H.R. 3053 provides practical reforms to ensure that the federal government fulfills its legal obligation to dispose of nuclear waste currently present in 121 communities across 39 states. The federal government is 20 years behind in implementing this disposal program. As a result, current litigation costs have totaled more than $6 billion--mounting to nearly $800 million a year and approximately $34 billion in future liabilities. I am proud to support this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to vote for H.R. 3053. H.R. 3053 reforms the program's broken financing mechanism. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 established the Nuclear Waste Fund financed through the collection of fee receipts paid by nuclear utilities and ratepayers. However, under current scorekeeping, these receipts are credited as offsetting mandatory receipts rather than discretionary appropriations in the federal budget. Consequently, the program cannot be adequately funded because the collected fees are not credited toward discretionary appropriations for future program expenditures. Addressing the budgetary classification of these fees prior to the Department of Energy resuming their collection is a top priority. In order for this program to operate as intended, the collection of these fees must be classified as discretionary spending. H.R. 3053 accomplishes this by offsetting future spending for nuclear waste management as discretionary spending and ensuring long-term funding for the program. The circumstances of the Nuclear Waste Fund are unique due to the delay in implementation of the program and the resulting litigation. As a result, both the fee collections and the program's subsequent spending need equivalent budgetary classifications. The scorekeeping treatment in the bill should not be viewed as a precedent for future legislative activity in other, unrelated programs. We are 20 years behind fulfilling this program's promise. We owe it to the taxpayer, ratepayer, and nuclear industry to pass H.R. 3053 and uphold our legal and contractual obligations to collect nuclear waste. I support the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018 and urge its passage.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, section 30104 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Public Law 115-123, requires the chairs of the House and Senate Budget Committees to submit for printing in the Congressional Record committee allocations, aggregates, and other budgetary levels for fiscal year 2019. Pursuant to section 30104 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, I hereby submit for printing in the Congressional Record: (1) an allocation for fiscal year 2019 for the House Committee on Appropriations, (2) committee allocations for fiscal year 2019 and for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028 for all committees other than the Committee on Appropriations, and (3) aggregate spending levels for fiscal year 2019 and aggregate revenue levels for fiscal year 2019 and for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028. In the case of allocations for committees other than the Committee on Appropriations and for the spending and revenue aggregates, the levels shall be consistent with the Congressional Budget Office's most recent baseline, adjusted to account for any legislation enacted since the date the most recent baseline was issued. This filing is made for technical purposes as required by section 30104 the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. Associated tables are attached. These committee allocations, aggregates, and other budgetary levels are made for the purposes of enforcing titles III and IV of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and other budgetary enforcement provisions. If there are any questions on these committee allocations, aggregates, and other budgetary levels please contact Brad Watson or Mary Popadiuk of the Budget Committee staff.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of myself and Mrs. Lowey, co- chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform, I include in the Record the rules of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. These rules were adopted during the Joint Committee's organizational meeting on April 17, 2018. Rule I--In General 1. The provisions of subtitle B of title IV, division C of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123) governing the proceedings of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform (hereinafter ``Joint Committee'') are hereby incorporated by reference and nothing herein shall be construed as superseding any provision of that Act. 2. The rules of the House of Representatives--to the extent that they are applicable to committees and do not conflict with the rules of the Joint Committee or subtitle B of title IV, division C of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018--shall govern the proceedings of the Joint Committee. 3. If a measure or matter is publicly available in electronic form, it shall be considered to have been available to members of the Joint Committee for purposes of these rules. 4. In each case where authority is granted to the Co-Chairs of the Joint Committee, such authority may only be exercised jointly by the Co-Chairs. Rule II--Meetings and Hearings Meetings 1. (a) The Co-Chairs shall provide an agenda to the Joint Committee members not less than 48 hours in advance of any meeting. (b) The text of any report and proposed legislative language shall be publicly available in electronic form at least 24 hours prior to its consideration. Hearings 3. The Co-Chairs shall make a public announcement of the date, place, time, and subject matter of any hearing to be conducted not less than seven days in advance of such hearing, unless the Co-Chairs determine that there is good cause to begin such hearing at an earlier date. Witnesses' Statements 4. (a) A witness appearing before the Joint Committee shall file a written statement of proposed testimony at least two calendar days before the appearance of the witness, unless this requirement is waived by the Co-Chairs, following their determination that there is good cause for failure to comply with such requirement. (b) Any witness appearing in a nongovernmental capacity shall include with their written statement of testimony a curriculum vitae and a disclosure of any Federal grants or contracts, or contracts or payments originating with a foreign government, received during the current calendar year or either of the two previous calendar years by the witness or an entity represented by the witness and related to the subject matter of the hearing. These statements, with appropriate redactions to protect the privacy or security of a witness, shall be made publicly available in electronic form not later than one day after the witness appears. Such disclosure shall include: (i) the amount and source of each Federal grant (or subgrant thereof) or contract (or subcontract thereof) related to the subject matter of the hearing; and (ii) the amount and country of origin for any payment or contract related to the subject matter of the hearing originating with a foreign government. Voting and Quorums 5. (a) Nine members of the Joint Committee shall constitute a quorum for purposes of voting and meeting. (b) Five members of the Joint Committee shall constitute a quorum for holding hearings. 6. A record vote on any motion, amendment, measure, or matter may be ordered upon the request of any member of the Joint Committee. 7. The Co-Chairs may jointly agree to set a series of votes on any amendment or agreeing to a measure or matter, or postpone a requested record vote on such amendment, measure or matter, to occur at a time certain. Reasonable notice shall be given to members prior to resuming proceedings on any postponed question. 8. No proxy voting shall be allowed on behalf of the members of the Joint Committee. Rule III--Questioning Witnesses 1. Questioning of witnesses will be conducted under the five-minute rule. Each member of the Joint Committee shall be allocated five minutes to question witnesses during the initial round and any subsequent round of questioning. Rule IV--Staffing and Records Staff 1. The staff of the Joint Committee shall be appointed as provided in sections 30442(b)(4)(I)(i) and 30442(b)(4)(I)(ii) of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. Records 2. The Joint Committee shall maintain a complete record of all committee action, including-- (a) in the case of a hearing or meeting transcript, a substantially verbatim account of remarks actually made during the proceedings, subject only to technical, grammatical, and typographical corrections authorized by the person making the remarks involved; and (b) the result of each record vote taken by the Joint Committee, including a description of the amendment, motion, order, or other proposition, the name of each member voting for and voting against such amendment, motion, order, or other proposition, and the names of the members of the Joint Committee present but not voting. Rule V--Content of Report 1. In the report required under section 30442(b)(2)(B)(i)(I) of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the Joint Committee shall include-- (a) with respect to each record vote on a motion to report the Joint Committee's recommendations or accompanying legislative language, and on any amendment offered to the recommendations or language, the total number of votes cast for and against, and the names of members voting for and against; and (b) a document, showing by appropriate typographical devices the omissions and insertions proposed, the entire text of each section of a statute that is proposed to be repealed; and a comparative print of each amendment to the entire text of a section of a statute that the bill or joint resolution proposes to make. If the Joint Committee reports a bill or joint resolution proposing to repeal or amend a statute or part thereof with a recommendation that the bill or joint resolution be amended, such comparative print shall also reflect the changes in existing law proposed to be made by the bill or joint resolution as proposed to be amended. Rule VI--Public Access and Transparency 1. (a) Any report or legislative language approved by the Joint Committee, the result of each record vote taken by the Joint Committee, and any Committee Print published by the Joint Committee shall be made available to the public in electronic form. (b) Not later than 24 hours after the adoption of any amendment to the report or legislative language, the Co- Chairs shall make the text of each such amendment publicly available in electronic form. (c) Not later than 48 hours after a record vote is completed, the information described in clause 2(b) of rule IV shall be made publicly available in electronic form. 2. To the maximum extent practicable, the Joint Committee shall-- (a) provide audio and video coverage of each hearing or meeting for the transaction of business in a manner that allows the public to easily listen to and view the proceedings; and (b) maintain the recordings of such coverage in a manner that is easily accessible to the public.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, over the Thanksgiving holiday week, the State of Arkansas and our Nation lost a devoted public servant with the passing of State Senator Greg Standridge of Russellville, Arkansas. He was a 1985 graduate of Russellville High School. He was a Cyclone through and through. Greg was coowner of CSI Insurance Agency in his hometown, was a longtime active member of First Baptist Church, and a member of the Russellville Football Booster Club. He found time to serve on boards for Workforce Investment, Pope County 911, Teen Challenge Women's Ministry, and the Pope County Fair. He was active with the Pope County Emergency Services Rescue Unit and was a volunteer firefighter. Greg was elected to the Arkansas State Senate in a special election in 2015 and selflessly dedicated himself to improving Arkansas while fighting his long battle with cancer. Mr. Speaker, as former President George H.W. Bush said many years ago, any evaluation of having lived a successful life must include a measure of service to others. Senator Standridge may have died young at the age of 50, but his life was truly well lived. I join his wife of 26 years, Karen Standridge; their children, Hunter, Lakin, Cameron, and Breonna; his mother, Jewel Simcox; his late father, Marvin Standridge; his sister and my classmate, Jeania Evans; and other extended family members in celebrating Greg's life. Mr. Speaker, we will always remember his infectious smile that could fill every room.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Chair, I thank the distinguished chairwoman of the Budget Committee for her outstanding work. My friend from Tennessee talks about driving forward. I think we need to pump the brakes. You are driving right off a cliff with this budget. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition. It is my strong belief that our Nation has a debt crisis on its hand, and I am astonished by how many people on the other side of the aisle, Mr. Chairman, just refuse to acknowledge the problem. It is as if the problem doesn't exist. Under their plan, taxes are going to be raised nearly $3 trillion. We are going to continue to raise spending to the tune of over $6 trillion. We will have a meager $2.6 billion in deficit reduction, by the way, compared to our budget that does well over $6 trillion in deficit reduction. Our Nation is $20 trillion in debt, and it is a complete absurdity to think that we could begin to relinquish this process if we enacted such a burdensome budgetary proposal that is being offered by our friends on the other side of the aisle. This budget would also diminish our national security apparatus. It would end the global war on terrorism fund by 2019. Let's go ahead and telegraph that we are going to end the global war on terrorism fund by 2019. The only people who I know who would support that would be our adversaries. It seeks to promote the collapsing Affordable Care Act by keeping those burdensome mandates in place. This resolution before us right now refuses to do anything about the runaway entitlement programs that are the primary drivers of the deficit and debt in the country. Mr. Chairman, their budget just will never balance. Never.

Mr. WOMACK. It will give no reconciliation instruction so that we can finally get control and protect for long-term sustainability the social safety net program that many depend on. The bottom line is, you either acknowledge we have a deficit and a debt crisis, or you do not. And if you believe as I do, you will refuse this budget, and you will support ours.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Chairman, I thank the distinguished chair of the Budget Committee for a job well done. Mr. Chairman, I came to the floor today to weigh in on this budget debate. I find it incredible that my friends on the other side of the aisle seem to be in a state of denial on the fact that this country, the greatest on the planet, is $20 trillion in debt. These are the same people in opposition, Mr. Chairman, who will present a budget tomorrow that will add nearly $3 trillion in more taxes and more than $6 trillion in more spending. This debt is going to land squarely on the shoulders of our children, our grandchildren, and--let me just say it for the record--is so large that it is going to land on our grandchildren's grandchildren. When does this insanity stop? There is not an easy way out of the mess. This budget puts us on a path to fiscal sanity. It targets Federal spending that is outside the purview of the Appropriations Committee. The budget ensures a strong national defense. It puts us on a path to fiscal sustainability, and it gives us the opportunity to do deficit reduction. The budget has progrowth policies that move us in a more sustainable direction. I understand the opposition coming from the other side. Their answer, Mr. Chairman, as always, is: let's tax more and let's spend more. That is not a responsible course. It won't lead to a good outcome for this country. Mr. Chairman, let me finally say that it is time we had a national conversation about the math problem facing this country. This budget starts that conversation. I encourage all my colleagues to support it, recognize where we are as a country, and resolve to do something about it.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Brian C. Cooper, who is retiring from the Office of the Parliamentarian after 35 I years on Capitol Hill. Brian is the son of Deloris and Ellsworth Cooper, and the youngest of seven children. He is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and has lived in the city (in the same house he grew up in) for his entire life. Brian is a graduate of Frederick Douglass High School, whose notable alumni include the Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Brian received a scholarship to the Community College of Baltimore (now Baltimore City Community College), where he received his degree in commercial and graphic arts. Brian's first job on Capitol Hill came in September of 1982, when he was hired in the stock room of the Longworth Building, working in Publication and Distribution Services. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Brian held a variety of positions on Capitol Hill, including work at the House Post Office and , Document Room, before moving up to become staff assistant for the Small Business Committee and later the Government Operations Committee. In these roles, Brian learned the intricacies of the legislative process and the inner workings of House operations--skills that would serve him well when, in 1995, he was hired as an Assistant Clerk to the Parliamentarian. Brian would spend the next 22 years in the House Parliamentarian's Office, and became Chief Clerk to the Parliamentarian in 2009. For over two decades, Brian has been a fixture at the House rostrum, dutifully assisting the presiding officer in timekeeping, recognizing Members on the floor, and preparing and reviewing reams of legislative paperwork for the House. Brian has also prepared the House for joint meetings to receive foreign dignitaries and other guests, and joint sessions of the House, including state of the Union addresses. As clerk, Brian also supervised House ``documentarian'' pages, and created the first computer network for the Parliamentarian. An accomplished artist, Brian remains active in his artistic endeavors, which run the gamut from pencil drawings, watercolors, and oils, to photography, and architectural design. His retirement will offer new opportunities to continue these pursuits. His other retirement plans include travel and spending more time with family-- including his numerous nieces and nephews. A devoted Baltimore sports fan, Brian will surely find his way to Camden Yards many times in the upcoming years to cheer on his beloved Orioles. A consummate professional, Brian has spent his career on Capitol Hill committed to assisting with an orderly and accurate legislative process, observed in a fair and nonpartisan manner. Brian is a quintessential institutionalist, always striving to continue the traditions and customs of the House, and' to pass on his institutional knowledge to others. The House of Representatives has known few individuals more dedicated to its proper functioning and legacy than Brian Cooper.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Brian C. Cooper, who is retiring from the Office of the Parliamentarian after 35 years on Capitol Hill. Brian is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate of Frederick Douglass High School and the Community College of Baltimore County, where he received his degree in commercial and graphic arts. Brian began his Capitol Hill career in September of 1992, when he was hired in the stockroom of the Longworth Building, working in publication and distribution services. Throughout the eighties and early nineties, Brian held a variety of positions on Capitol Hill, including roles on the Small Business Committee and the Government Operations Subcommittee. Through this experience, Brian learned the intricacies of the legislative process and the inner-workings of House operations, skills that would serve him well when, in 1995, he was hired as an Assistant Clerk to the Parliamentarian. Brian would spend the next 22 years in the House Parliamentarian's Office and became Chief Clerk to the Parliamentarian in 2009. For over two decades, Brian has been a fixture at the House rostrum, dutifully assisting the presiding officer in timekeeping, recognizing Members on the floor, and preparing and reviewing reams of legislative paperwork for the House. Brian has prepared the House Chambers for both visiting dignitaries and State of the Union addresses alike, and everything in between. If that wasn't enough, Brian also created the first computer network for the Parliamentarian. An accomplished artist, Brian remains active in artistic endeavors, which run the gamut from pencil drawings, watercolors, and oils, to photography and architectural design. His retirement will offer new opportunities to continue these pursuits. A devoted Orioles fan, it is my hope that Brian will spend some of his well-earned free time at Camden Yards. A consummate professional, Brian has spent his career on Capitol Hill committed to assisting with an orderly and accurate legislative process, observed in a fair and nonpartisan manner. He is a quintessential legislative resource for this entire body, and I am certain the House of Representatives has known few individuals more dedicated to its proper functioning and legacy than Brian Cooper. On behalf of everyone affiliated with this, the people's House, including my colleagues gathered in front of me here as I speak, Brian, we are happy to celebrate this important milestone in your life, and we thank you for your dedicated service to the House and to America.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of drug courts and veterans treatment courts in America. No one disputes the issues of rampant drug use and abuse in our Nation and the tremendous hardship it is placing on families, on businesses, and our criminal justice system. Recently, I met a remarkable young man from Arkansas who epitomizes the critical need to expand these lifesaving programs. Blayne was facing 20 years in prison because of a 10-year addiction to opioid prescription drugs that spiraled out of control while experimenting in college. Today he is a father to three beautiful children, owns his own home, and is giving back to his community--all because a drug court in Arkansas saved him. This month is National Drug Court Month. Drug courts represent one of our Nation's most successful strategies for intervention. I support drug courts and veterans treatment courts. I am counting on my colleagues to ensure they are properly supported and funded. The return on investment is incalculable.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a small business in my district that is celebrating its 90th anniversary this week. Matkins Flowers and Greenhouse in Bentonville, Arkansas, has served the northwest Arkansas region since 1927, when Henry Lenny Matkins, Sr., founded the company. Throughout the last nine decades, this Arkansas small business has persevered in good times and bad, and it serves as an example of how you make a small business sustainable with integrity, accountability, and hard work. Working through the Great Depression, World War II, and the modern era, the Matkins family has continuously exhibited the importance of the family-owned small business to the American economy. Now in its fourth generation of leadership with Jim and his son Jeff, it is worth celebrating this important milestone. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent this outstanding family and offer my thanks and admiration for the success of Matkins Flowers and Greenhouse.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mars, Incorporated, and Mars Petcare's Fort Smith, Arkansas, facility which was recently honored with the Two Million Man Hour Safety Award from the Arkansas Department of Labor. As a family-owned business since its founding in 1911, Mars has been a leading example of corporate responsibility practices that benefit their dedicated employees and the communities in which they operate. Since Mars first opened the doors of its Petcare facility in Fort Smith in 2007, they have provided stable employment to over 200 Mars associates who are responsible for making food for our pets under the brand names Cesar, Nutro, and Sheba. Impressively, Mars' Fort Smith facility has accumulated 2 million work hours over 5 years without a lost day away from work due to a work-related injury or illness, a direct testament to the great workforce in Fort Smith and the leadership of the Mars organization. In addition to their excellent safety record, Mars has had a significant impact on my district's local economy. Recently, Mars Petcare announced plans to expand the Fort Smith facility, which is expected to generate an additional 130 new jobs over the next several years. On behalf of everyone in northwest Arkansas, I am happy to celebrate this important milestone with Mars' Fort Smith facility, and I thank Mars for its continued dedication to our community.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I consider it one of the great honors in Congress to serve on the Defense Appropriations Committee with some real champions for national security: guys like Rodney Frelinghuysen, the overall chairman; Chairwoman Kay Granger from the Defense Subcommittee; my friend Pete Visclosky, the ranking member. These are all people that have a heart and a soul for what we are trying to do here today, and that is to provide for the common defense. It is our constitutional duty. And guys like Mac Thornberry, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. A lot of champions here that believe in a strong national defense. Mr. Speaker, not only does this bill rebuild readiness by giving our troops the equipment they need, but it also reverses Obama-era cuts to the developing defense platforms, stops troop drawdowns, and perhaps most importantly, gives our warfighters a much-deserved pay raise. As a 30-year veteran of the Arkansas Army National Guard, I am particularly pleased that this bill provides the funding necessary to ensure the National Guard remains a fully operational force. It is a good bill, Mr. Speaker, and with a willing partner in the White House and a pledge to rebuild our military, it marks the first step, an important first step our Congress has to take to complete our business from last year; and it gives our defenders what they need and deserve, and that is certainty. Threats are growing. America must project strength. That starts with creating a military so strong that we never send our men and women downrange in a fair fight. I call on my colleagues to stand strong against our enemies. Take this first step today in projecting power with our financial commitment. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. I thank the distinguished chair of the Budget Committee for giving me some time to talk today. She is a distinguished person, a colleague, a classmate, and somebody I have the utmost respect for. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the House budget resolution and to recognize the very important first step we are taking in our country today regarding ObamaCare. By adopting this budget resolution, we will set into motion the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Last week, on this very floor, the minority leader, Ms. Pelosi, stood here and called ObamaCare a magnificent success. Yet, since being sworn into office in 2011, I have heard just the opposite from my constituents. Every single day, I have heard that ObamaCare is raising the cost of health care, is creating uncertainty in Arkansas, is hurting Americans, and that we need to replace it with real reforms that focus on the patient, not the government. This law is not just bad for patients and healthcare consumers. ObamaCare's onerous mandates and endless regulations are hitting industry across the board. It stifles business; it squelches private sector job growth; it hurts our economy. Let me give you an example. Mr. Chairman, Superior Linen Service, in my district, employs over 100 people. Prior to the enactment of ObamaCare, Superior Linen Service recognized the importance of having a healthy workforce and was already providing quality health insurance to its employees, and it was able to manage its payroll insurance benefits in-house for the entire 60 years of its existence. After the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Superior Linen Service could no longer manage the sheer amount of paperwork it took to prove that it was, in fact, complying with the law. Let me be clear. Thanks to ObamaCare, the company provided no new benefits, but had to outsource its payroll and management at a cost of $100,000 a year. This is just one of many examples. This is an important day. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the resolution.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay respects to an admired, respected, and visionary educator, and a genuinely terrific person, Dr. Billy Bert Baker, of Gilbert, Arkansas, who passed away on Friday, January 6, at the age of 84. My relationship with Dr. Baker goes back decades. He was a family friend. After spending 17 years as a faculty member and administrator at my alma mater, Arkansas Tech, in 1974, he became the first employee of North Arkansas College in Harrison, served the college for more than 27 years, was its founding president, and retired at the age of 68. Under his leadership, Northark achieved several firsts, one of the most noteworthy being the 1993 merger of Northark and Twin Lakes Technical College, the first consolidation of a community college and a technical college in Arkansas. Billy Bert was also instrumental in the creation of both Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville and the ASU--Mountain Home campus. Dr. Baker's own unofficial motto was to ``help people grow, one at a time.'' That is exactly what he spent his life doing. He touched the lives of thousands--made them better men and women--and his legacy continues to enrich the lives of people throughout northern and northwest Arkansas through the institutions of higher learning that he envisioned decades ago. Rest in peace, Dr. Baker. My deepest condolences are with Bonnie, your wife of 63 years; your two sons, daughter, grandchildren; and the entire Northark family in this time of great loss.

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Amendment XX, section 1: ``The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.'' Section 2: ``The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.'' Section 3: ``If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.''

Mr. WOMACK

Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for giving me a couple of minutes here to speak on behalf of this bill. I am not real sure, Mr. Speaker, how much more constructive I could be on this discussion of this underlying bill. The truth has already been spoken by both sides. It is not the bill that we wanted to bring to the floor. It is not the bills that we have marked up after some very serious oversight meetings and discussions within the Appropriations Committee. As has already been mentioned, we have moved each of the 12 bills through committee. Only half of them have made it through the floor of the House. So it is not the final product that any of us on the Appropriations Committee, and I would guess most of the people in our Congress, would have wanted to bring. But it is the bill that is on the floor today, and it is quite essential that we pass it and leave for the holidays without turning Washington upside down or our economy upside down. So I support the underlying bill, and I would recommend that it get a thunderous amount of approval here within in the Congress. Before I close, I can't help but remember back 6 years ago, Mr. Speaker, when I came to this Congress. During the orientation period, I had an opportunity to engage in conversation with my friend from Kentucky, Hal Rogers. I told him then that I wanted to be on his committee. I knew he was committed to regular order, and I knew he understood the process. I had the desire to serve on a committee that was actually going to do something that Washington is not real familiar with, and that is cut spending. He has done that. I promised him that I would be willing to take the tough votes, and that I would be standing there with him and the rest of my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to do our job--to restore regular order and, really, the Article I powers that the Congress should enjoy. He has never failed me, nor has he failed our committee. Our Congress--our House--should appreciate what this gentleman has done with this regard. I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for the leadership he has given our committee, and I thank him for the time here to express my feelings publicly on the floor of the House.