Ted Yoho

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. We have. That is the beauty of the system. We get rid of all that. It is not a Social Security withholding. It is going to be a tax. It will be a guest worker tax, and money will be taken out. As I said, as I have shared this with Members in a bipartisan manner, they get excited about it. Our producers get excited about it. Industry gets excited about it. Let's work to finally be the Congress that says that we fixed this problem, and let's make the American people proud and make our Nation safer. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues. I would like to thank Dr. Schrader, and the leadership of the House to bring this bill up. I am here today for two reasons: One, we shouldn't even be here to have to run this through this body and take up valuable time, legislative time, that we could be talking about our debt, border, those kinds of things, but we are here. First, it saddens me that we have to pass a bill to stiffen fines and penalties to keep people from doing the despicable act of intentionally soring a horse's forelegs. And this is done through chemical means or mechanical devices to artificially--understand this--artificially accentuate the gait of the Tennessee Walking, Racking, or Saddle Horse. Dr. Schrader and I are both equine vets, the only ones in the House. We know this. We have seen this. We have dealt with this. As Dr. Schrader brought up, the Horse Protection Act was passed in 1970 to stop this. It was passed to stop this. That industry has had 49 years to bring this to an end, and they wanted to self-police. They have had 49 years to self-police, and they have not brought this to an end. I have got a shoe here that the gentleman had a picture of. This is a built-up shoe that we use on horses. I could drop it on the table, but I don't want to get the bill to fix it. This weighs about 10 pounds. This is one foot, on the front of a leg. Then they put these devices on there. After they put the chemical irritant on the leg to irritate it, then they put this on there. And you know why they do that? So they can win a blue ribbon. So that they can win a blue ribbon and take it and say, Look what we have accomplished. It makes me sick that we have to spend the time to do this stuff. Secondly, it saddens me. We are talking about preserving a terrible practice of animal abuse. And I see it very clearly. You are either supportive of animal abuse or you are against it. That is the bottom line here. Congress shouldn't have to do this; but, again, that industry has had 49 years. I had one of the trainers come in my office with an owner, for an hour and a half, to try to tell me not to support this bill. He showed me these weights and he looked at my watch. He goes: Congressman, that watch probably weighs about the same in relationship, body weight, as what you are wearing. I said, You know what? You are probably absolutely right. But there is a huge difference. And he goes, What is that? I said, I choose to put this watch on. That horse has no option. This bill is a good bill to get rid of a practice that is archaic and shouldn't be done. And it won't hurt this industry. It will make this industry stronger. And anybody that says this is going to kill the Tennessee Walking Horse industry is equivalent to the guy in the late 1800s that said, Those automobiles are bad; if you go over 30 miles an hour, you are going to die. We know that was a fallacy. Their argument is a fallacy. Every one of these agencies that he mentioned, the AVMA, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, every veterinary college in the United States of America, 98 percent of the farrier associations are for this bill. They are against the opposition to this bill, and I stand with this.

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding the time. The information you just heard there is a lot of fallacy in that. He makes it sound like the Farm Bureau is behind this. The Farm Bureau is not behind it, other than in Tennessee and in Kentucky. I have got a list here of the infractions, and 90 percent of them are from Tennessee; a couple from Kentucky, a couple from North Carolina, but the majority are from Tennessee. This bill, we sat down specifically with the USDA, APHIS, the regulating body of the USDA on animal cruelty, and we made sure, being a practicing veterinarian, that the owner was protected and that the trainer was protected from an overzealous USDA inspector. They have to be certified and trained, and they have to be licensed. And we added the objective testing. We use thermography. We use radiology. We do swabs of the skin. In fact, we use the same technology that our Department of Homeland Security uses to pick up traces of explosives and things like that. That is how in-depth we went. But we also made sure the safeguards were there for the owner and for the trainer. This bill should not have to--he talked about this is something in the past. Well, if it was in the past, we wouldn't do it. And he brought up the expense of this bill. So we are saying it is okay, if it is too expensive, we can't do this. We can sore the horses because it is too expensive. That is a bogus argument, and I think it is a shameful argument. And again, the bottom line comes, you are either for animal cruelty or you are against it. It is real simple. And, again, let me show you this. Look at the nails in this. This is a keg shoe. A horse doesn't need that. This is to win a blue ribbon.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I am excited tonight to talk to this audience here and at home about a serious situation that has plagued America and American politics since the mid-1980s. But that is not what I am excited about. I am excited to offer a bipartisan legislation solution to fix our broken immigration system. Before I get into the nuts and bolts of what we are going to talk about, we need to look back on past efforts of what worked and efforts that did not work. This body, along with President Reagan, did immigration reform that gave approximately 3.5 million individuals amnesty. Reforms were put in place to prevent a repeat of the illegal immigration challenge this Nation has had. America, time and time again, has been said to be the most generous country when it comes to immigration policies, and I think we can all agree with that. Over 1 million people migrate to America, legally, per year. Unfortunately, this body became divided and has continued to be divided over the enforcement of current laws and border security and making the needed reforms and revisions and adaptation to the times and needs of today to ensure our Nation's borders are secure. There are many programs where individuals can migrate to America legally, whether it is for work, to get an education, to become a citizen, to seek refuge from a national disasters, fear for one's safety because of bad government, corrupt government, or fear of life. However, this body has become so divided and the situation since 1986 has grown to the point that we now have a conservative estimate of over 12 million individuals in America illegally, and the number continues to grow. The number will continue to grow until this body stops playing politics with policies and people's lives and puts forth a policy that is best for America--not best for a political party, not best for the next election. If a policy is best for America, the question is asked: Is it not best for all--our citizens, the immigrant, and national security? What must happen is for this body to stop playing the political divisive game that has divided this Nation over the immigration policies. The Democratic side, Mr. Speaker, claims the Republicans are running concentration camps, tearing children away from their parents, and throwing children in cages with no food, no water, no toothbrushes, et cetera. The Republicans claim, Mr. Speaker, the other side wants to have open borders, and I have to admit, the Democratic Presidential candidates have talked about that. The Democrats, Mr. Speaker, want to give everyone amnesty. Therefore, nothing gets resolved because the narrative becomes political, the canyon that has grown between us grows larger, and nothing gets done. I am a veterinarian by trade, and what I have learned is you have got to look at the facts in front of you; you have got to diagnose the condition; you have got to look at the underlying cause; and then you have to treat accordingly. In order for a problem to be solved, there must be the recognition that there is a problem. Let me reference some of the rhetoric spoken by the very people tasked with solving this challenge to our great Nation, and this was at the beginning of the year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the situation: ``A fake crisis at the border.'' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it: ``A crisis that does not exist.'' House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said: ``There is no crisis at the border.'' And I can read on and on with the individuals' names, but there is no need to because they are talking points that don't change. Another Member: ``There is no crisis at the border.'' Another Member: ``A fake crisis at the border.'' ``There is no crisis at the border.'' ``We don't have a border crisis.'' ``A phony border crisis.'' ``A fake crisis at the border.'' ``A crisis that does not exist.'' ``Nonexistent border crisis.'' ``There is no border crisis.'' This comes from a piece in the Washington Examiner that Byron York wrote: ``This moment might be a time for introspection for those who have consistently downplayed the urgency of the situation on the border. Earlier this year, with the number of illegal crossings rising; with the nature of the crossers changing, more families and more children than in earlier years; with the testimony of border officials that they were unable to handle the situation; with all that happening, many Democrats and their supporters in the media forcefully denied that there was a crisis on the southern border.'' Here are a few more examples, Mr. Speaker. ``In the media, `Never Trump' Republicans, former Republicans, and other commentators have joined in.'' ``Former Rep. Joe Scarborough, now with MSNBC, called the situation `an imaginary border crisis.' ``Former Bush White House official Nicolle Wallace, also with MSNBC, said, `There's not a crisis.''' ``Former Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol called the situation `a fake crisis.''' Another one says: ``A fake crisis.'' Another one: ``There is no crisis on the border.'' Another one: ``There is no crisis at the border.'' They are the same talking points that get passed from one person to another. Another one: ``A faux crisis.'' ``A make-believe crisis.'' Even the comedians on late-night television weighed in and said: ``A fake border crisis.'' In this one article, there are over 26 examples, and there are plenty more where this came from. ``The situation at the border is so terrible in part because those in power, and those cheering them on in the media, have steadfastly resisted commonsense measures to reduce the flow of illegal migrants, the large majority of whom do not have a valid claim of asylum, across the border. The resulting paralysis in border policy encourages more migrants to come, making the situation worse by the day. ``Perhaps some of those quoted above only want to deny the President a victory,'' which is shameful. No matter how sensible the results are, they can't give in so that the situation is resolved. The bottom line is, the American people are less safe; the immigrants are less safe; and America's national security is threatened. ``Perhaps others are simply looking for a partisan advantage'' for the next election. ``Perhaps some sincerely believe in open or virtually open borders.'' As I said, the Democratic Presidential candidates have all expressed their views on that. ``It does not matter what their motives are. The crisis--yes, crisis--at the border worsens every day that we do not act.'' I am happy to say that I think people have come to their senses, that there is recognition today that there is a crisis at our border. The important thing to note is that if we recognize there is a crisis at the border, then you can start to heal the problem, and then you can start fixing that problem. It starts with border security and the enforcement of the laws already on the books. People want to put in new laws and do all these things. The laws are already on the books. There are some flawed laws, like the Flores agreement, that need to be changed. I just spoke to a Member of Congress who returned from the border, and he has spoken to the border security people. He was down there, and he saw firsthand. He had a shocking report. The coyotes bringing people in have control of what we call parishes or little neighborhoods. They have control of an area, and they bring people in. They are working with the narcotraffickers. They are bringing individuals into this country. Understand what is happening here. An individual who comes in will pay a coyote up to $8,000 for entry to come into America. It is more difficult to bring one individual in than it is with a child. A person who comes in with a child only has to pay $5,000 to a coyote. The reason is that they have to smuggle an individual in, get them on a bus, and they give them a boxed lunch. This was just reported to us, and that was from last week. The person with a child who comes in only has to pay $5,000 because we have to process that, so it is easier to get them in. They can just come across the border, and our system rolls them in, so it is only $5,000 to come in. The coyotes--understand this--and human traffickers, which are the same, are advertising in other countries, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, and South and Central America on TV ads. Ads in print say: Come to America. We can get you in. They have the prices printed. The coyotes, the human traffickers, and the narcos are getting rich at the expense of the immigrant and the refugee who truly need to come into America, and the children. We always hear on the other side that it is for the children. Well, by God, if you believe that, then fix the dang problem. It is also at the expense of our American citizens and our children. I was elected by American citizens, and my first job is to uphold the Constitution. My first job is to the people of my district who sent me here. My first job is to protect our constitutional principles for the people of this Nation. The other thing that gets threatened is our national security. The reports we have right now indicate there are over 60 countries represented from around the world, from China and Africa, that are coming into this country at the hands of the coyotes. I want to drop back to 2014. I think it is interesting that Members on the other side of this very body who were saying there is no crisis at the border, if you look at my first poster here, it is from June 2014. Let me read you the headline here, ``Sickening Photos of the Humanitarian Crisis at U.S. Border Detention Centers.'' This was June 16, 2014, and it was written by Brett Logiurato. There were Members who are serving in this Congress today who took these photos, and they said what a shame it is that we have these situations at the border. You can see this picture. People are laying on concrete floors. But then they turn around and accuse President Trump of laying these people on concrete floors with no pillows and no blankets. That is 2014, when President Obama was in charge. Here is another picture. ``A staggering humanitarian crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border has left Federal officials scrambling to provide the basic human necessities to thousands of undocumented immigrants, most of them unaccompanied children.'' The other side will say, well, it is for the children. I agree. No child should have to go through that. No parent should have to go through that in 2014. Yet, this is 2019. Not a dang thing has been done in this body to fix this problem because politicians--and I am almost embarrassed to say that I am a politician--are afraid to fix this problem. Do you know why? They will get political arrows thrown at them. Somebody will say: Oh, you want amnesty. You want to deport everybody. They stay away from this, another election comes, and nothing happens other than the situation gets worse. Let me go to another picture of sickening photos of the humanitarian crisis at the border detention center. Business Insider all the way in Australia is highlighting how dysfunctional the American immigration system is. You see kids running around. They are barefoot. People are laying on aluminum blankets, heat shields. People are in this situation. This is not a new crisis. This is something that has been going on since 1986. It is coming to a head, and it is going to get worse if this body does not get the backbone to do what is right and do what is right for America. As I said, if it is right for America, then it is going to be right for the immigrant, right for the American citizen, and right for this country. If we don't do those things, then it is going to get worse. Let's go to that other picture. There is a graph here that I want to highlight before I turn it over to my good friend. On this graph, I think it is interesting because numbers and pictures speak lots of words. This is the southwest border apprehension for fiscal year 2019. Before I get into this, President Trump has taken a lot of heat for trying to resolve a situation that gets worse every day. He has to do that only because this body is inept at what it is tasked to do. This body is the one that is supposed to write immigration laws. This body is the one that is supposed to do the enforcement laws. The President is tasked with executing the laws. According to Article II, Section 3, he shall faithfully execute the laws of the land. But if Congress does not solve the problem, then he has no other choice. He has called this an emergency. He has taken flack for that. He has taken all kinds of criticism for trying to do what is right for this country, trying to protect our national security, and trying to have some kind of commonsense way to slow this down. Yet my colleagues on the other side who acknowledged in 2014 that this was a crisis, at the beginning of this year, they said there was no crisis. They criticized him for trying to act. I want to show this graph. I know it is probably hard to see from TV, but look at this graph. We have different years represented here. We go from 2014 all the way up to 2019. The bottom line is, 2016, we were actively deporting people. There was a bad economy. We weren't getting as many people into this country. What I want to show is in October 2018. Look at 2019. If we start at January, we are at 54,000 people apprehended at the border. This was when there was no crisis at the border, 58,000 while there was no crisis at the border. By the time June came around, that number had grown to 104,000 apprehensions at the border. There was no crisis, according to my colleagues on the other side who won't come together to solve this problem. President Trump acted, and he acted strongly. He appealed to Mexico to help us with this situation. I commend the President of Mexico for coming to terms with President Trump. They put in enforcement at their southern border. You can see exactly the effect of that when it happened. It happened right here in the end of June. Since then, the illegal apprehensions have dropped precipitously down to under 110,000 in just a month and a half. We haven't changed the laws in this country. We haven't increased border security in this country. But the Mexicans came to rescue and help us. In fact, the Mexican Government is doing more to solve this problem for America, American citizens, and immigrants than my colleagues on the left side. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King), who is a great friend of mine and a great proponent of legal immigration.

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. King, his passion for this. And I want to run through a few numbers before I go to Mr. Chip Roy from Texas. Southwest border apprehensions by U.S. Customs, total apprehensions from October 2018 to May of 2019, 593,507. May of 2019, apprehensions alone, 138,887--highest month in over a decade. Total inadmissibles in October of 2018 to 2019, 82,808. Inadmissibles, these are people who can't come into the country because of their record. Mr. Speaker, 2019, 6 months total already has exceeded the total for the year of 2015. At this time, I yield to Mr. Chip Roy from Texas, a passionate individual about this. And I, again, thank Mr. King.

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I was going to bring this up, and I am glad the gentleman from Texas did. What happened to the day when migrants came to this country to cherish liberty and freedom and become enrolled in the beliefs that we have to assimilate? I appreciate the gentleman bringing that up because those aren't friendly signs, to take down the American flag and put up the Mexican flag in our country.

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's passion, and appreciate him bringing these things out. And this is something we have sent President Trump, and I am going to say tonight, I implore President Trump--in fact, I am going to challenge President Trump to reconvene this Congress at the beginning of the August recess. And I would do it every recess from here on out until this body comes to grips and solves this problem in a bipartisan, bicameral way; because, if you don't do that, Congress will run out. Like the gentleman said, they are going to go fundraise. They are going to get ready for the next election and tell everybody how great they did, yet this problem is getting worse. President Trump, you can do this. It hasn't been done since 1948. That was President Truman, and he did what was best for this body. I can tell you one thing. When you invade the personal time of Members of Congress, you get their attention. I think it is time we do that. I, for one, will stay here. I think this needs to be done. This is such a critical issue. At this time, I would like to go over a couple more facts, these numbers, the sources, total CBP enforcement, Custom Border Patrol. Apprehensions in 2017, total for the year was 526,901. 2018, that number--because the word had gotten out. The drug cartels are very good business people, unfortunately. They are not ethical people. They are not people I would want to have next to us. I don't want them in my country. But they are very good at what they do. The apprehensions in 2018 was 683,178. Now, get this. If people will not come together in a bipartisan way, they don't need to be in Congress. When you hear these numbers, apprehensions year-to-date 2019--keep in mind, 2017 is 527,000; 2018, 683,000 for the years. 2019, to date, the end of June, 787,161. Folks, when are we going to do this? If not now, when? Are we going to wait until there are 20 million people here? 40 million people? 50 million people? Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), a great friend of mine, another great Texan.

Mr. YOHO. Does the gentleman feel like it is politics being played over policy for the next election?

Mr. YOHO. Absolutely. It is sickening, sickening for this body, sickening for America.

Mr. YOHO. This is a threat. This is not about being racist. It is about doing rule of law. Our good friend Steve King brought up a great point. This is rule of law. That is all we are asking: Follow the rule of law. This body has been derelict in their duty, and that is why this problem is growing, because they put politics above policy. They are afraid to stand up. It is like I said. We have asked President Trump, reconvene Congress, bring us back in at the August recess. And I would bring us back every time until we fix this problem, period. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. YOHO. They do. I appreciate the gentleman bringing that up. I will talk about that at the end. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry), my good friend and colleague, the brigadier general.

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Pennsylvania's passion and leadership on the things he has done. He talked about it. Mr. Roy talked about it. Mr. Gohmert talked about. It is edifying. The ICE agents and the Customs and Border Patrol agents are doing a job that this body created with laws and policies, and then hired them. We have people on the other side of the aisle who are criminalizing the very people we hired to do this job that they have to do. And it is a thankless job. I know our side, the Republican Party, and, I am sure, some Democrats are truly thankful that our ICE agents and Customs and Border Patrol are there. They are taking time away from their families, and they are taking the time that they could be doing other things, but they are keeping our Nation safe. As Members of Congress, we here are thankful for them, and I know our Nation is thankful for them. I implore, again, President Trump to reconvene Congress, if it leaves without solving this problem, in the August recess and every time. He can be the first President since President Truman in 1948 to do this. I implore anybody who is watching to call your Members and tell them you want this problem solved. There is no reason that this does not get solved. This is something we can do. Throw politics out of it. Let's get good policies. Good policies for America are good policies for the migrant, good policy for our citizens, and good policy for our country. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Madam Chairwoman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. YOHO. Madam Chairwoman, I stand in support of an amendment I have offered to the Damon Paul Nelson and Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act. I would like to thank Representative Nunes and Representative Schiff for their work on this important legislation. My proposed amendment includes within the report on 5G technology, the threat to the national security of the United States posed by telecommunication companies that are subject to the jurisdiction of a foreign adversary; namely, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Syria. This will cover threats from acquisitions, importations, transfers, or use of communications technology by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States that involved technology designed, developed or controlled by a foreign adversary. As globalization continues to shape the world we live in, it is increasingly important that the United States prioritizes the security of our cyber networks and infrastructure. Today, China controls over 60 percent of the 5G networks in the world. In 2012, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence deemed telecommunication companies, Huawei and ZTE national security threats. Seven years later, these companies continue to harm and undermine U.S. cybersecurity interests. Should the U.S. continue to let these companies and others like them continue to proliferate our networks, we are putting the security of our citizens at risk and our national security. We must continue our maximum pressure campaign on these malicious companies until we can ensure that these actors do not pose threats to our national security. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOHO. Madam Chairwoman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. YOHO. Madam Chairwoman, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 3494. My amendment No. 28 would require the FBI Director, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis to submit a report on domestic terrorist activity in the United States to the congressional intelligence committees. The report will detail: Activities conducted by domestic terrorist groups that restrict free speech using violence or intimidation; Activities conducted by domestic terrorist groups that are a danger to human life and are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State; and The prevalence of any domestic terrorist group within the United States and abroad or any group that claimed to be domestic yet have ties to foreign groups like al-Qaida or other terrorist organizations. There are abhorrent groups of people within the United States today whose reasons for existence is violence. They do not respect the rule of law or the values of America. Yes, we have the First Amendment that allows for freedom of speech, religion, and assembly, but with those freedoms, one must exercise responsibility. They seek to inflict harm on Americans or specific groups of Americans because of their race, religion, personal beliefs, or other reasons. We have seen this evil in recent years with the deadly attacks on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the attack on the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, and, sadly, too many more. Moreover, we have seen violence used by groups that restrict free speech, most recently with the attack on Andy Ngo in Portland by the group Antifa. We are the most extraordinary Nation because of our belief in and the adherence to the idea ``that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,'' with the rule of law included. Groups that threaten these notions threaten our country and our very form of government. It is imperative that Congress be informed of domestic terrorist activities and understand the prevalence of these activities. By keeping Congress informed of these activities, we, as legislators, may continue to ensure laws are appropriately crafted to protect all Americans and safeguard the liberties we hold dear. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great man and a friend who recently passed away, Mr. Edwin Russell Megonegal, or, as his friends called him, Russ. Russ passed away peacefully last week on June 21, 2019, at the age of 97. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 21, 1921. Mr. Megonegal was part of America's Greatest Generation, serving his country during World War II and the Korean war in the Army Air Corps, the Air Force, and retiring in 1973 from the Pennsylvania National Guard, with the rank of colonel. He was a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College and Temple University. Mr. Megonegal had a long career in education in Pennsylvania as teacher, assistant principal, principal, and retiring as assistant superintendent of the William Penn School District. He and his beloved wife, Tigger, retired to Lake Mary, Florida, in 1981, where he served as the commissioner of the City of Lake Mary. He and Tigger made Clay County their home in 1991 and immediately became ensconced in their community. I first met Russ in 2012, while running for office. He was at every meeting, every gathering, and knew everyone. He always had a smile on his face and many pearls of wisdom that he would impart upon me, whether it was solicited or not. No matter what, he also told you what he believed and what he felt and what he thought was right; and that is perhaps what I will miss most about Russ. Russ's service to Clay County was boundless. He served on the City County Planning and Zoning Committee and the board of Penney Farms Retirement Community. He was actively involved in many of the charities, including the Rotary Club of Green Cove Springs, J.P. Hall Charities, the Clay County Salvation Army Advisory Council, the Food Pantry of Green Cove Springs, the Republican Club of Clay County, the Republican Executive Committee of Clay County, the DePaul Society of St. Vincent's Medical Center, the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Clay County Fair Association. He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Green Cove Springs. He had received many awards for his public service, including the Clay County Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and the Boy Scouts of America 12 Points Award in 2019. Of all of these awards, Russ may perhaps be remembered best as the unofficial mayor of Penney Farms, where he made his home. Russ's life was full, and he touched all those who knew him. I am proud to have known him and to have called him a friend. Russ, you will be missed. Congratulations to Jim Lloyd

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and celebrate one of my constituents, Jim Lloyd. Dr. Lloyd received his degree in veterinary medicine from Michigan State University in 1981, but he didn't stop there. He furthered his education with a doctorate in agricultural economics in 1983 and began his long career as both a published researcher and educator. Before leaving Michigan, Jim served as the dean of the Michigan State University Veterinary College. After years of teaching, presenting, and serving the agricultural community of Michigan, Jim was selected as the dean of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013, my first year in Congress. In that role, I had the great privilege of working with him directly on a number of initiatives. His passion for science, his commitment to agriculture, his passion for the veterinary profession in general, and his friendship inspire not just me, but everyone who comes in contact with him. Mr. Speaker, I wish Jim well in his retirement, and I look forward to working with him in the future. In Honor of Ken Brock

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ken Brock. Mr. Brock calls Keystone Heights home and is an Army veteran. In addition to serving his country with distinction and honor, he has done something else that is incredible. Mr. Brock has walked more than 2,650 miles across the United States to promote PTSD programs for the Wounded Warrior Project, with the aim of making it to Idaho by Independence Day. His walk began on February 1 of this year and wasn't without challenges. He faced two weekends of deadly tornadoes, deadly floods, thunderstorms, a collision with a tractor trailer, and plenty of snow. In the midst of the Ken's trek, he was called back to Florida for a mandatory VA benefit evaluation. Not to be deterred, Ken made his appointment and got right back on the road. Nonetheless, he arrived at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, 6 days ahead of the town's Fourth of July parade, with residents standing five deep along Sherman Avenue. Brock was featured in the parade doing what he does best: walking with his 100-pound supply cart and his service dog, Pam. This Sunday he will receive a hero's welcome from the Keystone Heights community. I am proud to honor and celebrate Ken Brock's journey to honor our veterans.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Madam Speaker, last week I had amendment number 25 accepted as part of the Commerce Justice Science appropriations package. This amendment increased and decreased the NASA science and research fund by $1,000,000 in order to highlight the importance of funding research to better understand human development in space in order to promote future space colonies. However, I would like to clarify that while I think these embryology experiments are of the utmost importance, I do not believe they should be done using human embryos or babies. The intent of this amendment was strictly to highlight the importance of non-human embryology experiments.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Illinois for yielding. I rise today as a Member from the great State of Florida. We all recall the 2000 Presidential election. What happened in Palm Beach County turned into a national punch line, ``the hanging chad.'' The Democratic bill before us today would mandate paper ballots and make our elections a technology-free zone. I, too, am worried about malign actors like Russia and China when it comes to our cybersecurity network. However, let us not throw out the baby with the bath water. Many of my colleagues submitted commonsense amendments that would improve the bill, amendments addressing ballot harvesting and ensuring State matching funds. Yet, Democrats, under another closed rule, are forcing passage on a one-sided bill with no prospect in the Senate and no chance of being signed by the President. Madam Speaker, I sincerely hope we address these issues in a bipartisan manner that reflects well on this body and the American people.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Madam Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 411. Amendment No. 4 Offered by Ms. Norton

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Madam Speaker, I would like to bring attention to the unjust detention of an American citizen, Mr. Michael Phuong Minh Nguyen, in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Mr. Nguyen was arrested on July 7, 2018 while visiting elderly relatives in Vietnam. He has since been held at the Phan Dang Luu Detention Center in Ho Chi Minh City. While the Vietnamese government still has not provided any evidence of wrongdoing that would justify his arrest, the Vietnamese government has confirmed they are charging Mr. Nguyen for allegedly violating Article 109 of Vietnam's Penal Code, engaging in activity against the government. I have worked with my colleagues in Congress, the Administration, our embassy personnel, as well as with Mr. Nguyen's family, to encourage the government of Vietnam to find a fast, transparent, and fair resolution to this case. Unfortunately, Mr. Nguyen is still being held in Vietnam. It is disheartening that an American citizen be detained for such a prolonged time before a trial is held. Over the past four decades, our two countries have built a strong relationship based on trade, trust and mutual respect. My hope is that we can continue this relationship without the detraction of these kind of events. I will continue to urge a just resolution for Mr. Nguyen until he can return to his family and friends in the United States.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time. Mr. Chair, we stand at a moment in history. Seventy years after the end of World War II and 30 years after the end of the Cold War, the world is still battling authoritarianism. However, due to the increased global economic integration, authoritarian states have begun to utilize practices of economic coercion and predatory lending to take advantage of developing nations. These vulnerable countries are presented with funding for major development projects, which ultimately lead to unrepayable debt. When these governments cannot fulfill their financial obligations, they are forced to give up strategic ports and lands that can now be used by the authoritarian regimes to achieve diplomatic and strategic aims that threaten democracies and stability. At the same time, we face the challenge and opportunity of leading the global effort to combat extreme poverty and disease, with an increasing recognition that public investment and grants alone are insufficient for the task. To tackle these issues, I worked with my colleagues last Congress to pass the new U.S. Development Finance Corporation. This critical tool put America and her allies in the position to counter economic coercion by ensuring that our government maximizes the impact of our resources through a coordinated strategy that prioritizes the mobilization of private capital through a variety of investment structures and partnerships. Additionally, the DFC will work much more closely with our lead development agency, USAID, and ensure we focus on sustainable development and allowing countries to make the transition from aid to trade through investments in infrastructure. As the implementation of the new DFC continues, I look forward to engaging with my colleagues and providing this new entity with the sufficient funding and flexibility it needs to achieve our Nation's foreign policy goals. I applaud Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger's support for the new DFC. I would also like to thank my colleagues Adam Smith, Hal Rogers, and Jeff Fortenberry for their support and engagement on this critical issue. It is paramount that we get this policy right to show America's commitment and continued leadership in forging strong foreign policy that benefits all.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Madam Speaker, I have the honor today to recognize a living hero, a person who served our Nation at the shores of Normandy on D- Day, June 6, 1944. Mr. Tam Cato is 104 years old and hails from Alachua, Florida. Mr. Cato was born on March 14, 1915, and raised in the town of Alachua on a 653-acre farm, which he still calls his ``Daddy's farm.'' Mr. Cato was drafted into the U.S. Army in February 1941 and trained at Camp Blanding in Starke, Florida. He was in Normandy during the invasion, where he served and aided in the liberation of France and Great Britain from Nazi Germany. Recently, I had the extreme privilege of sharing in an event for Mr. Cato in his hometown, where the French Government, through their council general and French generals, presented Mr. Cato the highest military and civilian honor France can offer: France's Legion of Honour. This award recognizes the American veterans who fought on French soil during World War II, risking their lives in the name of freedom. This medal is in honor of that courage and bravery. Madam Speaker, I thank Tam Cato, and my family and country thank him, as do the people of France. The world was made safer by him and others like him who served.