Mark Walker

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 3953, introduced by Congressman Gus Bilirakis of Florida. H.R. 3953 designates the post office located at 4122 Madison Street, in Elfers, Florida, as the Private First Class Felton Roger Fussell Memorial Post Office. Roger Fussell enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1969 at the age of 18 and left for Vietnam in that same year. Exactly 1 year after he enlisted, Fussell was tragically killed by enemy fire. Private First Class Felton Roger Fussell volunteered his service and lost his life all too soon while fighting for a country he believed in. I urge Members to support this bill that names a post office in his honor. In a moment, I will yield to its sponsor, my friend, Congressman Bilirakis, to tell us more about Private First Class Felton Roger Fussell. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson).

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4877) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3130 Grants Lake Boulevard in Sugar Land, Texas, as the ``LCpl Garrett W. Gamble, USMC Post Office Building''.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. WALKER. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4877, introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson). H.R. 4877 designates the post office located at 3130 Grants Lake Boulevard in Sugar Land, Texas, as the LCpl Garrett W. Gamble, USMC Post Office Building. Lance Corporal Gamble was a determined young man. Before he even graduated high school, he already decided to join the Marines. Less than a year after being deployed in Afghanistan, Gamble was killed when he stepped on an enemy land mine. Mr. Speaker, Garrett Gamble's life was taken far too soon. Naming a post office after him is just a small honor we can give to a man who gave his life for his country. I urge Members to support this bill to name a post office in Gamble's honor. I will soon yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson), my colleague and the bill's sponsor, to tell us more about the honorable soldier Lance Corporal Garrett W. Gamble. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4975) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5720 South 142nd Street in Omaha, Nebraska, as the "Petty Officer 1st Class Caleb A. Nelson Post Office Building''.

Mr. WALKER. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4975, introduced by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Ashford). Petty Officer Nelson was a Navy SEAL who served a tour of duty in Iraq and, later, another tour in Afghanistan. On his 2011 tour in Afghanistan, he was killed when his vehicle struck an explosive device. His friends and family remember him as a cherished teammate, a gifted SEAL operator, and a loving husband and father. Mr. Speaker, Petty Officer Nelson made a great sacrifice by giving his life in the service of his country. I urge Members to honor his sacrifice by naming a post office in his honor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4761, introduced by Congresswoman Judy Chu of California. Louis Van Iersel's story is an unbelievable one. Louis came to the United States from the Netherlands, and he served his new home with fervor. On his first day in the United States, he enlisted in the Army and soon after was deployed to Europe as part of World War I. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving hundreds of Americans' lives during the war. At the start of World War II, Louis tried to enlist in the Army alongside his sons, but he was turned away because of his age. So what did he do? He enlisted with the Marines instead. Through his life, Van Iersel truly wanted to serve the United States, the country he adopted as his home. I urge Members to support the bill to name a post office in Van Iersel's honor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3218, introduced by Congresswoman Lois Capps of California. Master Chief Lou Langlais served in the military for 25 years. He was in his final tour in Afghanistan when enemy fire shot down his helicopter, killing him and 29 other Americans. I will ask my colleague and the sponsor of this bill, Congresswoman Lois Capps, to share the incredible story of Master Chief Langlais, but I first want to urge Members to support this bill and name a post office after Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer Louis ``Lou'' J. Langlais. Hearing his story of lifelong service is inspiring, and I am hopeful that permanently naming the post office in the remembrance of his sacrifice will serve to inspire generations to come. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4425, which was introduced by Congressman Tom Emmer of Minnesota. H.R. 4425 designates the post office located at 110 East Powerhouse Road in Collegeville, Minnesota, as the Eugene J. McCarthy Post Office. Former Senator Eugene McCarthy dedicated much of his life to service. Senator McCarthy served his faith through his work at St. Thomas College, and he served his country as a code breaker for the Army in the War Department. After leaving the Army, he continued to serve in the public sector as a Representative in the House and then in the Senate for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Near the end of his life, Senator McCarthy had a post office named after him in Twin Cities, Minnesota. That post office has since been closed. We will soon hear more about Senator McCarthy from my colleague, Congressman Tom Emmer, the bill's sponsor. For now, I urge Members to support this bill to rename a post office in remembrance of Eugene J. McCarthy. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer).

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, there are few times in this House that we can see an immediate impact from legislation. A few months ago, I remember meeting some families who were given a choice in the SOAR Act. I remember seeing the pride in their faces, but what I remember most was the hope they had--a hope that was new, a new hope in the future. America has always been about opportunity. The SOAR Act does exactly what it says in its title--Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act. The SOAR Act is impacting lives today, but it is changing lives forever. Upward mobility starts with a strong education. It reminds me of my background in working with some gospel music arrangers. I was surprised at the high volume of sales in this particular industry, and one of the arrangers summed it up this way. He said: ``Mark, ain't nobody likes it but the people.'' To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who oppose the SOAR Act and who oppose parents in having this opportunity, let me say this: Ain't nobody likes it but the people.

Mr. WALKER

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

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for taking the lead on this and talking about some issues that are very important to us. I do agree, since President Johnson's War on Poverty began in 1964, the United States taxpayers have spent over $22 trillion on anti-poverty programs. Yet, for many places in this country, poverty is worse, hunger is worse. Even in our district in the triad, we have places where there are food deserts and food insecurities. After 50 years, we have to ask ourselves, have we seen any real progress in our communities. Families have been caught up in this generational cycle of dependence that has depleted the resources in many of our communities. Somewhere along the way, the Federal Government missed the mark. We have created programs that measure success on how many people we put on Federal programs, not measured by how many people we are able to move off programs for upward mobility. Last week, former Congressman J. C. Watts and I toured North Carolina's Sixth District, my home district. We saw passionate community members working to combat many aspects of poverty. Some were working with limited Federal Government assistance; some were doing so without any involvement from the Federal Government. These community members have found successful ways to feed the hungry in our food deserts and educate former inmates to become employable, contributing members of our society. One nonprofit that we toured was the Welfare Reform Liaison Project in Greensboro, North Carolina. They work with a coalition of community partners under Project Re-Entry. Their goal is bringing the inside to the outside by assisting former offenders returning to the community after serving prison sentences. It is not just about the program. We have to love the least of these--as people of faith, we are called to do so--and understanding that sometimes we must put the relationship before the policy to achieve maximum success. Another wonderful nonprofit we toured was BackPack Beginnings, 100 percent volunteer driven and community run. They directly provide food and necessities to children in need to make a positive and lasting impact on their health and their future well-being. One county has no State or federally funded weekend feeding programs. These people have come behind to offer assistance for schoolchildren, and BackPack Beginnings works to fill that gap, all without the Federal Government's involvement, serving 4,000 children in 38 county schools. Members of the people's House are committed to finding ideas that work to address the underlying causes of poverty and empower local community. I am proud to be part of that with my dear friend and colleague, the gentleman from Arkansas, French Hill.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 1670, the National POW/ MIA Remembrance Act of 2015, which would direct the Architect of the Capitol to place a commemorative chair paid for by private donations in the United States Capitol to honor American prisoners of war and those missing in action. This bill is a way to acknowledge and remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. One of the groups supporting this bill is the Rolling Thunder, as was just mentioned. The mission of the Rolling Thunder is to educate the public of the American prisoners of war who were left behind. I am happy to state that this bill is not a cost to the American taxpayers. In coordination with the Rolling Thunder, I have also introduced H. Res. 590, which calls for a selective committee on POW and MIA affairs. As a minister for nearly two decades, I can tell you that these situations are sometimes not always resolved, but the closure that it provides and benefits to the families is immeasurable. I am proud to once again stand with my colleagues today in honoring our brave men and women.