Bruce Westerman

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Sgt. AC Simpson Jr., a committed servant of the Drew County, Arkansas Sheriffs Department for over 35 years. Sgt. Simpson passed away on Sunday, January 31, leaving behind a legacy of joyful service to his beloved home. Having first started his career as an auxiliary deputy in 1985, Sgt. Simpson worked full-time for the Drew County Sheriffs office since 2001. Noted as an avid bowler and fisherman, he was also an invested family man with three grandsons and one granddaughter. His legacy of law enforcement continued in his grandson, Xavier, who became an auxiliary deputy in Drew County in 2020. Remembered most for his ability to brighten anyone's day, Sgt. Simpson's service made him a friend to all in his community. I take this time today to honor the life of service exemplified by Sgt. AC Simpson Jr. I thank him and his family for their dedication to our fellow citizens and our beloved Fourth District.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Charleston, Arkansas native, Mr. Theron ``Doc'' B. McElroy. Born on January 16, 1921, Mr. McElroy is one of seven children and one of our country's last remaining veterans of World War II. After joining the United States Army on December 26, 1941, he stormed Utah Beach at Normandy on D-Day, joining thousands of other brave young Americans in a testament of truest heroism. Mr. McElroy earned several medals during his time of military service, such as the Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, and many others. He earned an honorable discharge from the Army on December 20, 1945. I take this time today to honor the life of service exemplified by Mr. McElroy and his family. In his 100th year, he continues to represent the very best of our nation's greatest generation, and I thank him for his significant impact upon the advance of freedom and the American Dream.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Former Jefferson County Sheriff Edward Lewis ``Boe'' Fontaine. Sheriff Fontaine passed away on Sunday, January 17 following a battle with COVID-19, leaving behind a county and Fourth District which mourns the loss of a friend, a helper, and a true servant leader. Beginning his law enforcement career as a deputy sheriff assigned to the Uniformed Patrol Division in 1980, he was later elected as the 30th Jefferson County Sheriff, serving two terms from 1999 to 2006. Appointed by then Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in 2001, Sheriff Fontaine served as a Commissioner on the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training (CLEST). Prior to his service at home, Sheriff Fontaine served 21 years in the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a gunnery sergeant. For his heroism in action, he became one of the most decorated Arkansan service members in history. Most notable of those awards include four Purple Hearts, the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star with a combat ``V.'' In addition to his life of leadership in the military and in local law enforcement, Sheriff Fontaine was known as a family man and valuable member of the community, along with his wife of 60 years, Maye Winston Fontaine. Together, they raised a daughter, Kim, and worshipped as members of Bethany Missionary Baptist Church. I take this time today to honor the life of service exemplified by Sheriff ``Boe'' Fontaine. I thank him and his family for their dedication to our fellow citizens and our beloved Fourth District.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington and commend him for the great work that he has done with the Western Caucus and also here in Congress to be a voice for rural America and for these areas, like my district, that depend on Natural Resources. Madam Speaker, our country is at a crossroads on the environment. One road leads to a vibrant, all-of-the-above energy approach, where we combine our state-of-the-art technology with hardworking American ingenuity and work ethic to incentivize smart environmental solutions. The other road leads to a top-down regulatory approach in which those in power ban, tax, and prohibit energy access resulting in economic ruin and environmental degradation. It is clear which path President Biden has chosen. With a stroke of a pen, he eliminated thousands of American jobs, put many more into jeopardy, defunded bipartisan conservation programs, and eliminated some of the safest, most reliable forms of energy production and transportation we have. Let's not confuse action with progress. The data is very clear. America leads the world in environmental standards. If our goal is actually a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment--and I hope it is--then we should continue modeling these standards for the rest of the world to follow, while developing the technology of the future. However, through his sweeping bans that killed the Keystone pipeline and shut down new energy leases on Federal lands and water, President Biden is merely shifting our current demand for energy overseas. Let me make that very clear: Much as my Democrat colleagues might pretend otherwise, America's demand for oil and natural gas will not go away overnight. It cannot. Our infrastructure depends on it. So by shutting down one of our main domestic supplies, our supply will shift overseas, where we have no control over their environmental standards. Put simply, President Biden's orders will hurt our environment in the long run and devastate our economy in the meantime. So what is our alternative? How about allowing the free market to work, like it always has. We have an innovative, pragmatic plan in place, unlike the Democrats' haphazard, shooting-from-the-hip approach. It is why I have submitted pro-growth solutions like the Trillion Trees Act. Madam Speaker, we don't need to make hollow political points with no substance and no hope for success. We need an energy plan that looks to the future while taking care of the needs of today. Democrats want to make us choose between a healthy environment and a strong economy. I am here to tell you we can have both. Actually, if we want a cleaner, safer, healthier environment, then we must have a strong economy. They go hand-in-hand. I hope President Biden reverses this ban and puts our environment and America's economy first.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I apologize for missing the votes on February 2, 2021, regarding the passage of the previous question and rule providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 11 and H.R. 447. I missed these votes because I was with my son as he signed his offer to play collegiate football. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 19, and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 20. members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress Axne (Stevens) Barragan (Beyer) Bowman (Clark (MA)) Buchanan (Arrington) Cardenas (Gomez) Carson (Butterfield) Cartwright (Doyle, Michael F.) Cohen (Beyer) Cooper (Clark (MA)) DeSaulnier (Matsui) DesJarlais (Kustoff) Deutch (Rice (NY)) Dingell (Stevens) Fallon (Nehls) Fleischmann (Kustoff) Frankel, Lois (Clark (MA)) Gallego (Gomez) Gonzalez, Vicente (Gomez) Gottheimer (Panetta) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Hastings (Wasserman Schultz) Hayes (Courtney) Houlahan (Wild) Jayapal (Clark (MA)) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Jones (Jacobs (CA)) Keating (Clark (MA)) Kirkpatrick (Stanton) Kuster (Clark (MA)) Langevin (Courtney) Larson (CT) (Courtney) Lawrence (Kildee) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Lieu (Beyer) Lofgren (Jeffries) Long (Wagner) Lowenthal (Beyer) Lynch (Clark (MA)) Maloney, Carolyn B. (Jeffries) McEachin (Wexton) Meeks (Jeffries) Meng (Clark (MA)) Mfume (Brown) Moulton (Beyer) Nadler (Jeffries) Napolitano (Correa) Ocasio-Cortez (Garcia (IL)) Payne (Wasserman Schultz) Porter (Wexton) Price (NC) (Butterfield) Roybal-Allard (Correa) Ruiz (Aguilar) Rush (Underwood) Speier (Scanlon) Suozzi (Panetta) Titus (Connolly) Tonko (Pallone) Torres (NY) (Auchincloss) Trahan (McGovern) Vargas (Correa) Vela (Gomez) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Wilson (FL) (Adams)

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, we can do better than wasting taxpayer money on idealistic, political environmentalism.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, let me be very clear: This rules package is horrible. It is a progressive affront to America. The rules package continues proxy voting and remote hearing measures, even though Members of Congress and staff now have access to the COVID- 19 vaccine. If Congress can be first in line for the vaccine, then we must be first to go back to work. Exactly how far Democrats intend to take their attack on free speech is unclear, but look no further than the extremism in the opening prayer yesterday that concluded with ``amen, and a woman,'' which, quite simply, is illiterate and has nothing to do with gender. This package paves the way for Democrats to spend unlimited dollars to promote a climate agenda that will harm rural America and our economy while doing nothing to create a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment. Republicans want a better environment and economy, and this rules package will facilitate harm to both. I urge all of my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, to vote against this resolution. We can do better than neglecting our responsibility to show up in person.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend votes today due to self-quarantining for COVID-19. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 242 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 243. Personal Explanation

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished ranking member from Missouri for his leadership on continuing the biennial consideration for the Water Resources Development Act. Today, I rise in strong support of S. 1811, the Water Resources Development Act of 2020. WRDA 2020 will strengthen our Nation's ability to withstand severe weather and flood events, authorize the construction of key water infrastructure projects throughout the Nation, create jobs here at home, and directly contribute to our economic growth and competitiveness. All 60 project authorizations contained in WRDA 2020 were proposed by non-Federal sponsors and underwent a rigorous planning process before congressional review. This WRDA bill focuses on building more resilient infrastructure, increasing rural flood protection, addressing the maintenance backlog at our Nation's ports and harbors, and prioritizing our Nation's inland waterways. The House passed WRDA by voice vote nearly 5 months ago, continuing the strong bipartisan tradition that WRDA enjoys. After negotiations with the Senate, I am glad to support this compromise bill, which contains nearly all of our Chamber's priorities. S. 1811 is fiscally responsible, with new project authorizations fully offset by deauthorizations of projects that are outdated or no longer viable. Again, I want to stress that this legislation represents the continuing commitment to regular order for consideration of water resources projects. Regularly overseeing the improvement of our Nation's infrastructure is one of the most important responsibilities of Congress. This is a good, commonsense, and bipartisan bill. I want to recognize the great work of our subcommittee staff, Ian, John, and Victor. I also want to thank Chairman DeFazio and Chairman Napolitano for their partnership in its creation. I urge all Members to support S. 1811.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Fred Randle. Mr. Randle was a longtime Hot Springs resident who was part of Merrill's Marauders during World War II. Merrill's Marauders were U.S. soldiers who fought in the Pacific Theater, using jungle warfare techniques to penetrate deep behind enemy lines. In just 5 months, the Marauders advanced 720 miles through some of the harshest jungle terrain in the world. Upon return, each man in the unit was awarded a Bronze Star. Mr. Randle's book, ``Hell on Land, Disaster at Sea--the Story of Merrill's Marauders and the Sinking of the Rhona,'' described his experience watching the sinking of this ship in 1943. He was one of a handful of men with the Marauders who had been sworn to secrecy about the sinking for 57 years, since it was caused by the world's first guided missile. Mr. Randle passed away at the age of 97 on November 23, 2020. But before he did, we were able to contact him and his family and let them know that a Congressional Gold Medal will be placed in the Smithsonian in his honor. Perhaps there is no better tribute to his life than in the words of his family, He loved the Lord and he loved the United States flag.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and remember the legacy of Shon Matthews. A paramedic with the LifeNet Texarkana Division since October 2007, Shon was a wonderful example of service above self. Shon passed away on Monday, November 2 after a battle with COVID-19. The Fourth District of Arkansas will grieve not only the loss of a friend, but also an exemplary public servant. For the past 23 years, Shon committed his life to working as a first responder, even volunteering for his local fire department in addition to working as an EMT and, eventually, a paramedic. Beyond his own service on LifeNet Air medical helicopters, he sought to teach others those life-saving skills as Operations Manager for the Texarkana Division. Later becoming an area manager, Shon is said to have done ``whatever the company needed to take care of patients and to serve the community.'' I first met Shon when he visited my office in 2019 for the American Ambulance Association's Stars of Life event. He was dubbed ``The Selfie King'' during that trip to Washington, and I am honored I had the chance to visit with him and learn more about his work in Arkansas. I take this time to honor Shon and his family for their selfless love of community and their sacrifice for the safety and well-being of their fellow man.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jimmy Dale Williams' life of work with General Dynamics. Since the beginning of his career, Williams has been a leader for some of the most influential of defense projects. For nearly 54 years, Williams has been the lead worker on the Hydra 70 Rocket Motor line, starting his career in 1966 with Baldwin Electronics. He started by hand stenciling the lot numbers on each rocket motor, and by the mid-1970s, he was running the project developing the 267 and 261 warheads. After a transfer to Hitech in 1996, Williams began supervising and training workers for the production of the Hydra 70 rocket motor. In addition to his years of service in the defense industry, Williams also serves as a justice of the peace for Calhoun County Quorum Court. A respected member of his community and a dedicated servant, he states that his determination comes from watching his own family. With brothers that served in the Air Force, Army and Marines during the Vietnam era, Williams says their service is what played the greatest part in his decision to dedicate his life to the work of supplying military ammunition. It is in Mr. Williams' life that we find the shining example of service and patriotism. I take this time to thank him for his exemplary life and his love of country.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the exceptional work of Design Lab by Locker Room Athletics. This local Hot Springs business has adapted their existing manufacturing to produce customized masks for organizations to continue operations during COVID-19. When many of Locker Room Athletics' customers began to see the effects of the pandemic, they reached out to this local business to produce masks that could keep employees safe while continuing to work. By converting their manufacturing capabilities, Locker Room Athletics now serves small businesses, local school districts, corporations, and government agencies across the nation. It is work like this that truly sets them apart as heroes in a time of national crisis. Not only does their service protect the health of their fellow man, but it also provides a way for families to continue working, for businesses to continue running, and for the economy to continue growing. It is an honor to see work like this happening down the street in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I take this time to thank them for their service to our community and for providing an example to the rest of the nation of what true servant-leadership is.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Pine Bluff police detective Kevin Dwaine Collins. His life tragically cut short in the line of duty on Monday, October 5, we take this time to thank him for his life of service and his family for their ultimate sacrifice. A member of the Pine Bluff Police Department since 2015, Detective Collins had proven himself to be a valuable resource and friend to his community. While his family and friends refer to him as a leader and a ``gentle giant,'' it was well-known that Detective Collins held his calling to law enforcement with the greatest zeal. Prior to his work with the police department, Collins served in a variety of public service areas like the Arkansas Department of Corrections and the Metropolitan Emergency Communication Association. In 2017, he was named Pine Bluff Police Department's Officer of the Year. Detective Collins is named by community leaders of Pine Bluff as ``one of the finest officers you could ever hope to have.'' His work was not just a job, ``but it was his mission.'' It is clear from his years of service and his commitment to love his fellow man that Detective Kevin Collins is a man deserving of the highest honor. I take this time to celebrate his legacy and to thank him for the sacrifice he has made for our community and our home.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, fires are ravaging the West. I want to talk a little bit about what is going on with the fires, and I want to talk about what is not going on here in Congress. To start with, I just want to take a quick look at the science of fire. This fire triangle shows that three things are required to have a fire. You have to have fuel, heat, and oxygen. There is a lot of talk about the role climate change is playing in these fires. Climate increasing temperatures can draw fuel. If it gets windy, you can have more oxygen. Lightning can be one of the things to ignite fires, but a lot of fires obviously are ignited by man-made ways. When we talk about putting out fire, the first thing we do is try to get the fuel out of the way, or we use water to cool the fire and remove the oxygen. But we have to spend way too much time working on extinguishing fires when we can take the actions to reduce the fuel to reduce the fires. Any time I talk about forest management, I get accused of wanting to clear-cut the national forests, and I can promise you the last thing I want to do is clear-cut the national forests. I want to use good management on the national forests. That is what we should be doing. But I often wonder if those people who talk about clear-cutting even have any idea of what a clear-cut is. I have put this chart together that shows a comparison between a clear-cut and a catastrophic wildfire, and I will go on the record and say that catastrophic wildfires are worse than clear-cuts. Look at the data. During a clear-cut, the trees are killed. During a catastrophic wildfire, the trees are killed. During a clear-cut, the trees are removed. During a catastrophic wildfire, you are left with dead snags that can be fuel for additional wildfires. All vegetation is killed. That is what happens in a catastrophic wildfire. At least in a clear-cut you leave the residual grasses and the shrubs. Stream zones are protected when a clear-cut is done. You leave vegetation around the stream. Catastrophic wildfire burns to the edge of the water. Soil and organic materials are all burned up in a catastrophic wildfire. Special care is taken to protect the soil in a clear-cut. When a clear-cut is planned, a plan for reforestation is also in place. Often on catastrophic wildfire, there is no reforestation. As far as planting goes, it is extensive with a clear-cut. It is unplanned and uncontrolled in a catastrophic wildfire. The size of a clear-cut, in California, it is less than 20 acres. Wildfires are huge, burning millions of acres. We have almost burned 8 million acres to date in the wildfire season this year in the U.S. We can continue going down the list, but you can see, even talking about carbon, at least with a clear-cut, you are putting the wood into material that stores carbon. With a wildfire, you are releasing the carbon into the air. And these dead snags eventually rot. And they are not just releasing carbon dioxide like the fire does; they are releasing methane, which is a worse greenhouse gas. Clear-cutting is not something that we want to do in a national forest, but people who are not allowing good forest management--and that is Congress with the rules that we have--are doing something much more devastating than clear-cutting by allowing these catastrophic wildfires to continue unabated. Just as an example, this is the Angora fire. That is a natural clear- cut. That is a stand replacing fire. This is 12 years later, where you have no regrowth on the site. On top of that, according to the USGS, in 2018, the carbon emissions from wildfires released the same amount of carbon as the emissions that would be produced by generating enough electricity to power California for a whole year. Mr. Speaker, we need to take action. It is not that the Forest Service doesn't know how to manage the land, it is that we have tied their hands and we have allowed activists and lawyers to manage the forests rather than the professionals in the Forest Service. If we don't want to see the same things repeating over and over, with loss of life, loss of property, loss of a resource that actually pulls carbon dioxide out of the air and could be used to reduce the effects of climate change, we should do something proactive and actually start managing these forests. It is time to act, and unfortunately, Congress has sat on their hands while we continue to watch the West burn. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for being here tonight. Mr. Speaker, I just want to illustrate here that this isn't difficult. It is not rocket science. This is a control in the first picture. You see all the underbrush, the ladder fuels. This is on Federal land as well. You see the forest management in the middle where you thin it out, you do controlled burns. You do those every few years, and you get a resilient forest that looks like this. California and Oregon and Arizona and Washington State, Nevada, they could have forests that look like this. Now, it would be those species that are out there, and the management would be done accordingly, but there is no reason we can't do this. It is Speaker Pelosi's State that is on fire. It is Chairman Grijalva's State that is on fire. It is Chairman DeFazio's State that is on fire. I wish that Democrats would take time to do what is right, to address these fires, to quit playing politics with relief bills that are going nowhere and do something that could really help the people and their States. We want to help, but we can't do it on our own. We are in the minority. We will work together and offer suggestions, but it is going to take a bipartisan effort to change these rules so that management can take place. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) for being here tonight. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer) for his comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse) for his comments tonight. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer).

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the trees, the forest they call home, and all Americans who live near there. In the words of the poet Joyce Kilmer: I think that I shall never see A poem as lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed Against the Earth's sweet flowing breast. A tree that looks at God all day And lifts her leaf-filled arms to pray. A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair. Upon whose bosom snow has lain, Who's intimately lived with rain. Poems are made by folks like me, But only God can make a tree. Mr. Speaker, trees are truly amazing. Through the remarkable process of photosynthesis, trees take in carbon dioxide. They store the carbon in the wood, and they release the oxygen back for us to breathe. Trees provide us with clean air. But just as important as clean air, trees provide us with clean water. Their roots hold the soil together, and as water percolates through, they clean the water. Forests also provide wildlife habitat. They provide us places for outdoor recreation. Trees provide amazing green building products, like mass timber. Trees provide packaging for shipping. And let us not forget where toilet paper comes from. No wonder trees are so admired, as they should be. However, our beloved trees and forests in the West have a different image today, one not of grandeur and amazing beauty, but one of fuel in an apocalyptic inferno that is killing people, destroying homes and property, and leaving barren landscapes below and choking smoke above. Mr. Speaker, unlike the mythical Ents of middle-earth in the ``Lord of the Rings,'' our trees cannot speak for themselves. I don't claim to be Dr. Seuss' Lorax, but if trees could talk, I believe they would be crying out: Hey, humans, stop loving us to death. Hey, humans, we need some relief, and you are supposed to be taking care of us. Hey, Congress, you are killing us, and if we die, you die. Please work together and apply your husbandry skills to give us a chance. When trees win, humans win. Mr. Speaker, even as the climate changes and fire threats increase in the West, there is hope if we will just do the right thing. That right thing is forest management, and it looks different on different sites. Here is an example of how it looks in my home State of Arkansas. This is the Felsenthal National Wildlife Management area. You can see an unmanaged forest, the control site. You see the thick underbrush, the midstory and the understory that is too thick. You see the simple management practices of thinning out the understory, doing controlled burns, and at the bottom you see what a beautiful, healthy forest looks like. Here is an example of how it looks in California. This is an aerial shot from the devastating Camp fire near Paradise. This red hatched area, that is where the fire burned. This dark red line, that is where the fire was stopped. You can see this little band right here. That was actually a firebreak that was put in place by a private forestry company to stop the spread of fire onto their land because public lands are so mismanaged. Here is what that firebreak looked like. It was a thinned area where the fire came in from this direction. It went down to the ground, and firemen were actually able to put it out and save the forest on the other side. That is what sound forest management looks like. This is not clear- cutting. It is commonsense, science-based management that works. Mr. Speaker, now is the time to act--not after the election, not the next Congress, but now. In the Trillion Trees Act, we have outlined policies to implement the most basic forest management practices to the four most critical areas: The wildland urban interface where fire can start, but where breaks can be created and we can thin; Energy transportation corridors. We know fires can start from electric arcs; Transportation corridors, where trains and cars can create sparks and where more humans are near the forest; And last but not least, in critical watersheds where the damage is felt long after the fires are out. For the sake of our forests, our environment, and all Americans, I urge Congress to act. Pass the Trillion Trees Act, and let's be the good stewards that the trees deserve.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished service of Sgt. David Scudder of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Sgt. Scudder was severely wounded while serving with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan. His fellow Paratroopers quickly came to his aid. During a September 12, 2019 mission to retake a district center held by the Taliban in Farah Province, Sgt. Scudder took a bullet to the leg. Members of his unit, Specialist Joseph Sturgill and Specialist Dominic Green, took quick action. Placing Scudder on a stretcher, they carried him two miles to safety while taking enemy fire from a second ambush. It is stories like this one which remind us of the price our service members pay for the defense of liberty. It is my hope that all of Hot Springs, the State of Arkansas, and this nation will join me in honoring the valor of individuals like Sgt. Scudder. I take this time to honor the heroism of Sgt. David Scudder and his team and to thank them for their commitment to higher service. It is from them that we should all learn the ultimate example of bravery, of sacrifice, and what it means to be a patriot.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of frontline, essential rural mail carriers and postal workers across my district and America who have continued to go to work and do their jobs during the pandemic. This is in sharp contrast to many of my colleagues across the aisle who draw a paycheck but don't show up to vote or do their jobs. Mr. Speaker, I also stand in opposition to H.R. 8015 because it is a sham bill that has no future. It doesn't belong on this floor. It belongs in the archives at the election hoax of the month club. How do the Democrats keep a straight face while proposing a $25 billion bailout disguised as election integrity when it would equal about $200 per ballot if every voter voted by mail? That is preposterous. With its current over $14 billion cash on hand and access to $10 billion from the CARES Act, do we even have to keep explaining that the United States Postal Service is in a more than adequate financial position to remain fully functional well beyond the election? No. The American people are smarter than Democrats give us credit. I believe most see past the smoke and mirrors. The post office is important. It is not going anywhere, and this bill has nothing to do with a fair election. The ranking member and I participated in a youth organization, and at the beginning of each meeting the leader would ask: Why are we here? Many of us are asking that question today: Why are we here? The answer is because this House is adrift. This House is a ship without a rudder. It lacks vision, it lacks direction, and, most importantly, it lacks leadership. It simply gets tossed to and fro by the political wind of the day. Mr. Speaker, it didn't just start. It has been that way this whole Congress. At a time when America has legitimate needs with a pandemic and an economy trying to get back on track, it is really no surprise that this is the best the left can do. House Democrats offer no hope. We need change.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedicated work of Pafford Medical Services during COVID-19. This family-owned and operated EMS service has long held the mission of serving both urban and rural communities, but during this unprecedented time, the Pafford Medical family has gone above and beyond expectation. With more than 900 employees and 120 ambulances in a four-state region, Pafford Medical Services has served the people of rural areas like Arkansas' Fourth District for more than 50 years, and during that time, they have created a reputation for efficient and effective disaster response. In this time of national crisis, that reputation has been proven true. As emergency medical personnel, these essential workers are those that battle on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. While taking no thought of their own personal safety, Pafford Medical has taught us all what it means to be a hero and a true servant of a community. I take this time to honor them for their personal sacrifice and to thank them for their commitment to higher service.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the exceptional work of Tyson Foods Company in keeping Americans well fed and supplied during unprecedented times. The Grannis, Arkansas location, along with several others in the Fourth District, have kept their doors open, making heroes of the men and women who work in their facilities. During COVID-19, our country has endured not just a pandemic, but the economic struggles that result. It is because of the efforts of essential workers like these and the dedication of Tyson Food, Inc. that our store shelves will stay stocked and many Americans will not go hungry. I take this time to honor their work and to thank the exceptional men and women who have ignored fear or concern for personal safety in the battle to feed our communities. It is from them that we should find the ultimate example of what it means to be a front line hero in a time of national crisis.