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 urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Ross), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1326) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2000 Mulford Road in Mulberry, Florida, as the ``Sergeant First Class Daniel M. Ferguson Post Office''.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 1326, introduced by Representative Dennis Ross. H.R. 1326 would designate the post office located at 2000 Mulford Road in Mulberry, Florida, as the Sergeant First Class Daniel M. Ferguson Post Office. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of H.R. 891, introduced by Representative Henry Cuellar. H.R. 891 designates the post office located at 141 Paloma Drive in Floresville, Texas, as the Floresville Veterans Post Office Building. This excellent bill honors the men and women of Floresville, Texas, who served our country. We are grateful for their service and for the service of all of our veterans and their sacrifices in the service to our great Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 891) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 141 Paloma Drive in Floresville, Texas, as the ``Floresville Veterans Post Office Building''.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. I thank Congressman Ratcliffe for his powerful stance. Mr. Speaker, since 2012, one of the bulldogs that has been holding the IRS accountable is the Congressman from central Florida. At this point, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. DeSantis).

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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 728) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7050 Highway BB in Cedar Hill, Missouri, as the ``Sergeant First Class William B. Woods, Jr. Post Office''.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 3, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on Senate Concurrent Resolution 3.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my gratitude for the hard work and dedication put forth by Chairman Thornberry, Ranking Member Smith, and their colleagues on the Armed Services Committee in drafting the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016. I would like to thank the Rules Committee, Chairman Sessions, and Ranking Member Slaughter for their efforts in ensuring Members on both sides of the aisle had an avenue to voice their opinion. We recently finished 10 townhalls in 10 counties, and the number one thing from our constituents is making sure that Washington is held accountable. These efforts help restore our constituents' faith in this body and the process of lawmaking.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. As I consider the current state of our Nation's debate about abortion, I am a bit puzzled when I hear the word ``health care'' in discussing such a topic. Unlike procedures for common ailments that would be typically associated with the term ``health care,'' abortion has as its very object the taking of a human life. The term ``abortion'' forces the question: What--or, better said, who--is being terminated? Without a doubt, it is clear that abortion ends the life of these little human beings. Many will want to discuss health care today, but I ask: Who is responsible for the health care of the baby? Who among us is assigned to protect this most precious life? Each baby bears the unique imprint of our Creator, with goodness, truth, and beauty to offer the world. Yet these children will never be able to grow, play, dream, and reach their full God-given potential. My wife, a nurse practitioner, and I faced a very unexpected pregnancy in our late thirties. After the shock wore off, we embraced the idea of a new little girl who would be part of our family. In fact, I have decided to bring a picture of her today. I have a great screen shot of the ultrasound 3 months into the pregnancy. Interestingly enough, we never referred to her as fetus number three. We called her Anna Claire. Just like any of you, parent or grandparent, we all take great pride in displaying new life. Please allow me to make this clear. I don't speak ill of or despise anyone who has made a fateful but very difficult decision. As a former minister, I have seen the anguish and the hurt both before and after what can be an excruciating process. Yet today, we are faced with an historic decision that has nothing to do with trade or with budgets but, rather, has everything to do with life. In this moment, we have the opportunity to address something that many countries have already outlawed. Though many of us would prefer legislation that would go even further, this bill would impose a simple restriction that follows naturally and universally shared rules of humanity and compassion. To that end, H.R. 36 protects the unborn child from being aborted after 20 weeks of gestation. Medical science tells us that the baby fights for survival in a second or third trimester abortion. He or she recoils in pain at the poison intended to stop their heart and the clamps used to dismember their tiny little body. We cannot deny this evidence. We must not look the other way. While we show compassion to mothers who are facing difficult decisions, we must also protect the babies who are surely counted among the ``least of these.'' Who will be their voice? God forbid if we don't speak out. Martin Luther King, Jr., said: ``Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.'' When this final page of human story is turned, what will we have done to embrace justice, to love mercy, and be a voice for those who have none? The American people have grown weary of the rhetoric in D.C. Attention and being aware is good, but there comes a time when we have to move from the awareness stage to the action steps. Today is that time. I urge my friends on both sides of this Chamber to break the silence, to stand up for life, and support H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Mr. Howard Coble on his 84th birthday, a living legend of North Carolina politics who faithfully served the Sixth District of North Carolina for 30 years. From the very first day when he assumed office on January 3, 1985, and the nearly 11,000 days following, he was a pillar for outstanding constituent service. With his three decades in Congress, he became the longest-serving Republican in the history of North Carolina, and he was regarded as one of the friendliest Members of Congress and certainly the most fashionable. But the title I believe he embodies is public servant. He spent a lifetime serving our great country and our State. Beyond Congress, he has served in a multitude of capacities for North Carolina, including as a State representative. Additionally, he is a Korean war veteran and spent more than two decades serving in the United States Coast Guard and the Reserves. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to succeed Mr. Howard Coble. On behalf of all the Sixth District and my colleagues in Congress, I thank you for your service and wish you a very happy 84th birthday.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 125 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Stated against:

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Madam Speaker, in traveling throughout the district this past week, people shared with me their frustration at the ambiguous language from this administration in describing the evils of radical Islamist terrorism. Though I greatly respect the office of the President, I too have grown weary at the timidity. While other world leaders have come to the forefront, our President continues to be defensive, at best. At first glance, the silence appears to be passive or poor leadership. But I am inclined to believe that the President's posture is not one of weakness but, rather, an intentional directive in both rhetoric and action. It appears that his promise to take our country in a fundamentally new direction is being played out in realtime. Instead of defending our liberty and our way of life, which is the most charitable in the world, our President seems to scoff at the belief that our country has been uniquely blessed by God. I would be remiss today if I did not pause and remember our Egyptian Christian brothers in the recent barbaric attacks in Libya. ISIS murdered innocent husbands and fathers who clearly died for their faith and their beliefs. Just this morning, we hear further reports out of Syria that Islamic State militants have abducted dozens of Christians, including women and children. Weeks prior, the President chastised the Christian community for getting on their judgmental high horses. Yet, in describing our martyred brothers from Egypt, the President refused to even utter the word, ``Christian.'' The undermining of our beliefs has become an issue with this President. This very week, we face a constitutional crisis that was created solely by this administration. House Republicans have passed legislation to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, yet this President is now asking me and my colleagues to do something that, for 6 years and on more than 20 occasions, he said was outside the law. Throughout history, strong leaders have exhibited strength in times of crises. Recently, Tony Blair met with a few of us and gave a great speech on the concerns and the ills of extreme terrorism. He said this, and I haven't forgotten it. He said: America, it is not your job to be loved; it is your job to lead. Today, I beseech the President to lead by clearly defining this expanding extremism that is ISIS, al Qaeda, Boko Haram, al Shabaab, and other radical Islamic fundamentalists. There are times when riding the high horse of justice is our only option. The American people are demanding strength. It is time to speak out. Defend our inalienable rights of liberty and life, be courageous, be a leader, Mr. President. The world is watching.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor a great man who left his mark--in fact, a legacy--on our State of North Carolina. Coach Dean Smith retired as the winningest coach in FBS history, but many will remember Dean Smith as a pioneer in another arena. Dean grew up in a home that valued the inalienable human dignity conferred upon us by our Creator. When Coach Alfred Smith, Dean's father, brought a young African American student on to his high school team, he did so against the wishes of the State's athletic association. By speaking truth to power, Alfred Smith stood up for a principle that he knew was right. No doubt this had a profound impact on his son, Dean. Years later, Coach Dean Smith helped integrate ACC basketball by recruiting UNC's first African American player, Charlie Scott, in 1966. During his tenure, the greatest rivalry in college basketball became Duke and UNC. In fact, Coach K of Duke University said it best: While building an elite program at North Carolina, he was clearly ahead of his time in dealing with social issues. However, his greatest gift was his unique ability to teach what it takes to become a good man. That was easy for him to do because he was a great man himself. Thank you, Coach Smith, for your investment into basketball but even more into the lives you touched.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, we are rapidly approaching a crossroads regarding the President's executive actions that provide de facto amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants. On February 27, the appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security runs out. Here are the facts: The House has done exactly what the American people have asked. We have passed a bill that fully funds the Department of Homeland Security, including broadly supported amendments that would defund the President's illegal executive orders. Now the time has come for the Senate to engage. Sadly, they are not even debating the issue. Senate Democrats are now blocking the consideration of the bill. I strongly urge the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, to hold the line and to work diligently. The President's overreach needs to be stopped. This is a constitutional issue, not an immigration one. Are we not outraged at such abuse? The President has violated his own words, attempting to enforce authoritative actions he repeatedly said he did not have. In fact, 22 times he has said he did not have the constitutional privilege to do so. This administration's opinion on other issues may continue to evolve or change, but may I remind him the Constitution has not changed. I am calling on not only my constituents but on our fellow citizens across this land to let your voices be heard. Demand results from your leaders. I would like to thank my colleague from Georgia for organizing this meeting to allow our voices to be heard in a very loud manner.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Chairman, every day small businesses and local governments are weighed down by Washington's numerous regulations. H.R. 50, the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act, acts to curb the constant rules and regulations that Washington continues to impose on the American people. This law builds on and improves the bipartisan legislation, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, which was enacted to promote transparent decisionmaking and curb unfunded Federal mandates. However, due to loopholes and exemptions, UMRA has failed to keep unfunded mandates off the backs of local governments and taxpayers. I would like to thank Congresswoman Foxx for introducing this bipartisan legislation to close these gaps, hold Washington accountable, and better protect our fellow Americans. Importantly, this bill will do three things: one, it will close loopholes that allow agencies and independent regulators to forgo UMRA analysis; two, it enables stakeholders to engage Federal agencies before unfunded mandates are implemented; and three, it holds regulators accountable through the courts and congressional oversight. I am reminded every day that we were elected to bring change to Washington, and this reform is exactly what needs to be sent to the President's desk.

Mr. WALKER

Mr. WALKER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, ``middle class economics'' is the President's new catchphrase and method to pay lip service to helping American families--more smoke and mirrors. In November, voters spoke loudly and clearly in sending 58 Members to Washington. I made a promise over these past 2 years that I would come to Washington and stand up. Today, for the first time, I am proud to vote for a full repeal of this law. The ACA has caused insurance premiums to skyrocket for working families in North Carolina. It continues to weigh on our economy and on our job creators. This law is seriously flawed in the fact that the President's administration has overreached dozens of times in trying to change and fix the law themselves. Yes, the damaging effects of ObamaCare are so ingrained in the fabric of this law that fixing it is not an option. That is why I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 596 for a full repeal.