[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 128 (Friday, July 28, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H6543-H6547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM WAR MEMORIAL ACT
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 873) to authorize the Global War on Terror Memorial
Foundation to establish the National Global War on Terrorism Memorial
as a commemorative work in the District of Columbia, and for other
purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 873
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Global War on Terrorism War
Memorial Act''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM MEMORIAL.
(a) Authorization To Establish Commemorative Work.--The
Association may establish the National Global War on
Terrorism Memorial as a commemorative work on Federal land in
the District of Columbia and its environs to commemorate and
honor the members of the Armed Forces that served on active
duty in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
(b) Compliance With Standards for Commemorative Works
Act.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph 2, the
establishment of the memorial under this section shall be in
accordance with chapter 89 of title 40, United States Code
(commonly known as the ``Commemorative Works Act'').
(2) Non-applicability.--Subsections (b) and (c) of section
8903 of title 40, United States Code, shall not apply to this
Act.
(c) Use of Federal Funds Prohibited.--
(1) In general.--Federal funds may not be used to pay any
expense of the establishment of the memorial under this
section.
(2) Responsibility of association.--The Association shall
be solely responsible for acceptance of contributions for,
and payment of the expenses of, the establishment of the
memorial.
(d) Deposit of Excess Funds.--If, on payment of all
expenses for the establishment of the memorial (including the
maintenance and preservation amount required by section
8906(b)(1) of title 40, United States Code), or on expiration
of the authority for the memorial under section 8903(e) of
title 40, United States Code, there remains a balance of
funds received for the establishment of the memorial, the
Association shall transmit the amount of the balance to the
Secretary of the Interior for deposit in the account provided
for in section 8906(b)(3) of title 40, United States Code.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Association.--The term ``Association'' means the Global
War on Terror Memorial Foundation, a corporation that is--
(A) organized under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania;
and
(B) described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of
that Code.
[[Page H6544]]
(2) District of columbia and its environs.--The term
``District of Columbia and its environs'' has the meaning
given that term in section 8902(a) of title 40, United States
Code.
(3) Global war on terrorism.--The term ``Global War on
Terrorism'' means any contingency operation conducted by the
Armed Forces in response to the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, or other terrorist attack.
(4) Memorial.--The term ``memorial'' means the National
Global War on Terrorism Memorial authorized to be established
under section 2.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. McClintock) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr.
Gallego) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 873, the Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act,
authored by Congressman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, would authorize
the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation to begin the lengthy
Commemorative Works Act process to establish a Global War on Terrorism
Memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia. The memorial will
recognize and honor the men and women who have served on Active Duty in
the United States Armed Forces since the attack on our country on
September 11, 2001.
The global war on terrorism is the longest conflict ever fought by
the United States, and there is still no end in sight. We can and
should debate the policies that have prolonged this war and denied our
troops the full might and resources of our Nation. But one thing is far
above and beyond any debate, and that is the heroism, selflessness,
devotion, and patriotism of the men and women of our Nation who stepped
forward from the safety, security, and comfort of hearth and home and
into harm's way when our Nation called.
The Commemorative Works Act requires that a war be ended for at least
10 years before planning can commence on a national memorial. There is
good reason for this requirement: it gives history the insight to place
the war in an historic context and to begin to fully appreciate its
full significance to our country and future generations.
But the war on terrorism has been fought in a decidedly different way
than our past wars. We are now approaching the 16th anniversary of the
attack on New York and Washington. The veterans who sacrificed so much
to keep that war away from our shores deserve some tangible and lasting
tribute to their patriotism and altruism while they, their families,
and their fellow countrymen can know it. The Gold Star families of our
fallen heroes for whom the war will never end deserve some assurance
that their sons and daughters will never be forgotten by a grateful
Nation.
We should remember that many of our Nation's heroes from World War II
never lived to see the completion of the World War II Memorial, which
was completed 59 years after the end of that conflict.
For these reasons, this measure suspends the 10-year period in
current law. It doesn't repeal it. It merely sets it aside for the
unique circumstances of the current war on terrorism.
I am confident that the Memorial Commission will respect and
appreciate the fact that many may have yet to serve in this war, and
history has not yet had time to reflect on its significance to our
Nation and, indeed, to the future of Western civilization. I am sure
the design they recommend will respect these facts and provide
significant latitude for the completion of the memorial after this bane
of Islamic terrorism has been extirpated from our planet and the long-
suffering people of the Middle East have been liberated from it by the
brave fighting men and women of the United States Armed Forces that
this memorial will honor and thank.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a July 28, 2017, letter from the
Congressional Budget Office providing a cost estimate for this bill.
Congressional Budget Office,
U.S. Congress,
Washington, DC, July 28, 2017.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, House of
Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 873, the Global
War on Terrorism War Memorial Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani
Shankaran.
Sincerely,
Mark P. Hadley,
(For Keith Hall, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 873--Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act
As ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on July
26, 2017
H.R. 873 would authorize the Global War on Terror Memorial
Foundation, a non-profit organization, to establish a
memorial in the District of Columbia and its environs to
commemorate members of the armed forces who served on active
duty in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
Because H.R. 873 would prohibit the use of federal funds to
establish the memorial, CBO estimates that implementing the
legislation would result in no significant costs to the
federal government.
Enacting H.R. 873 would affect direct spending; therefore,
pay-as-you-go procedures apply. The memorial project would be
subject to the requirements of the Commemorative Works Act.
Under that act, any entity that receives a permit to
construct a memorial must donate to the National Park
Foundation (a nonprofit organization) an amount equal to 10
percent of the memorial's estimated construction cost. That
amount, as well as any project funds remaining after
construction of the memorial, would be available in future
years for maintenance of the memorial.
Based on the experience of similar commemorative projects,
CBO expects that any amounts collected by the federal
government for maintenance would not be received for several
years and would be offset by an expenditure soon thereafter.
On net, CBO estimates that such effects would be
insignificant. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 873 would not increase net
direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 873 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani
Shankaran. The estimate was approved by Theresa A. Gullo,
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak in favor of the Global War on
Terrorism War Memorial Act. This act will initiate the process for
constructing a memorial to the brave men and women of the Armed Forces
who have fought and, too often, died for this country in the wake of
the September 11 attacks.
As a veteran of the Iraq war, I am extremely proud to be on the floor
today as we memorialize the bravest and best of Americans: the ones who
volunteered to put themselves in harm's way and did not come back.
I want to commend my fellow Marines, Mr. Moulton and Mr. Gallagher,
for sponsoring this act. As you know, Mr. Speaker, it takes a lot for
an enlisted marine like me to speak very highly of any officer, let
alone Marine Corps officers, but there are always exceptions.
Mr. Speaker, as we consider this legislation, I hope every Member of
this body will take a quiet moment today to think about the courageous
men and women we have lost over the past 16 years. When I cast my vote
today, I know I will be thinking about my close friends, including
Corporal Andre Williams and Lance Corporal Christopher Lyons, who died
12 years ago today in Cykla, Iraq.
This memorial will honor thousands of our countrymen who have been
killed and wounded in Iraq and around the world. It will memorialize
the service of those who have survived the battle only to fall victim
to the mental and emotional demons of post-traumatic stress. And it
will represent a token of thanks to the family and friends who have
served by supporting their loved ones in uniform.
[[Page H6545]]
{time} 1130
For as long as this memorial stands, it will continue the proud
tradition of America honoring its sons and daughters who have given
their last full measure of devotion.
I look forward to commencing design and to the day when the memorial
passes from an idea on a piece of paper to a landmark on the National
Mall.
I thank Congressman Moulton and Congressman Gallagher for their
remarks.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Gallagher), the author of this
measure, one of the many thousands of Americans who stepped forward to
answer their country's call.
Mr. Gallagher. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership
on this issue, for working with us, and I ask that he please extend our
thanks to every member of the Natural Resources Committee for its
effort in getting this bill to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I also thank the gentleman from Arizona for his words
and for his service. It is my honor to call him my fellow marine. As an
officer, I did my best just not to get in the way of my enlisted
marines, who were doing the real work. Maybe we can bring some of that
same ethos here to Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bill that honors
our post-9/11 veterans and secures their rightful place in our Nation's
Capital.
Earlier this summer, I had the honor of welcoming a group of American
heroes who journeyed from northeast Wisconsin to Washington, D.C.,
aboard the Old Glory Honor Flight. That is one of the truly incredible
things we get to do as Members of Congress.
Just to watch generation after generation of veterans representing
every major conflict since World War II visiting the very memorials
that honor their sacrifice, their service, their commitment, their
courage in those conflicts was one of the most remarkable experiences
of my life.
Just as these veterans visited their respective memorials, so, too,
should the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve in
the ongoing war on terrorism have a memorial one day to honor their
courage, their sacrifice, their commitment. But as the chairman laid
out, current law does not allow for the creation for a memorial for the
war on terror.
The 1986 Commemorative Works Act requires that monuments in honor of
a ``. . . limited military engagement or a unit of an armed force may
not be authorized . . . until at least 10 years after the officially
designated end of such war or conflict.''
But as we know, this is a conflict unlike many others that have
preceded it. This war will have no clear end date, no V Day or V-J Day.
Threats continue to rise, so the longest ongoing conflict in our
Nation's history continues. After 15 years, after over 6,800 American
lives lost, there is still no end in sight.
So this memorial is for the men and women who have died fighting,
those who continue to fight, those who are still joining the fight
against terrorism.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to take a second to recognize the dedicated
members of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, many of
whom are with us here today, especially Andrew Brennan, George
Chewning, Chad Longell, and Matt Gannon. They have been tireless in
their commitment to getting this done. Today we are taking an important
step forward, but we still need to get it across the finish line, so I
want to recognize their efforts.
I just want to say, Mr. Speaker, like most, I struggle with how to
truly honor the men and women whose sacrifices far exceed my own. I was
lucky. I had great marines that kept me safe, and we all came home
safe. But my hope is that this memorial will serve as not only a way to
honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifices, but also as a call to
action for us, the living.
I believe that those we will pay tribute to through this memorial
didn't risk everything just so we would sit back and praise them for
keeping us safe. I would submit to you that the fallen don't want our
praise. They want our participation in this incredible experiment in
self-government.
If we are going to continue passing the torch of democracy from one
generation to the next, then we need to build this memorial so that
future generations never forget their duty to do the same, so that
future generations never forget the cost of liberty.
Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to support this legislation to
memorialize the service of the brave men and women who have fought in
the global war on terrorism.
Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton).
Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from Wisconsin and
Arizona. It is an honor to stand here as fellow marines in support of
this bill today.
Today is a big day. It is a milestone in a journey that we started
over a year ago. We are taking a major legislative step in the
direction of creating a memorial honoring those who have served on
Active Duty during the global war on terrorism.
For many, like my colleagues, this bill is personal. None of us will
forget where we were on September 11, 2001, and we all continue to live
with the aftermath of that tragic day in American history.
It is important to note that the tragic events of 9/11 and the war on
terror to follow did not leave us isolated and afraid as a nation.
Rather, in true American fashion, they inspired an entire generation to
come together and serve.
So many young men and women selflessly answered the call to serve
their country in the wake of that tragedy, and I would like to share
just one story with you about someone from my district who would be on
this memorial.
Captain Jennifer Harris lived in the town of Swampscott. She was a
graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and, sadly, became the
first Massachusetts woman killed in the Iraq war.
Jennifer was the epitome of leadership and sacrifice. On flying
missions, she had the call sign ``The Dove.'' She would often be called
to evacuate our wounded soldiers and marines from the battlefield.
Captain Harris' final mission was to transport blood supplies. She
willingly volunteered for it even though she was only just days away
from returning home. In fact, she was initially told:
No. You are too close to leaving. Don't go.
But she said:
I want to fly one more time.
Her superiors reluctantly agreed. Captain Harris died on February 7,
along with six other crew members after insurgents shot down her
helicopter.
In her twenties, with a bright future ahead of her, Captain Harris
was on her third tour of duty in Iraq.
I can't help but think today of my grandfather, a World War II
veteran. He never got to see the WWII Memorial in his lifetime. He was
never afforded the opportunity to have some place to take his family to
reflect on his time in the service or remember his colleagues who did
not have the opportunity to come home.
Let's not let that history repeat itself. The men and women who have
given their all in the war on terror should be afforded a place on the
National Mall where their loved ones can pay respects and honor their
sacrifice.
Passage of this bill is an important first step in seeing this
memorial built in our lifetime.
Let's get this done for Captain Jennifer Harris and the thousands of
others like her who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).
Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the strongest support possible for this bill
to begin the process of establishing a memorial to honor the
servicemembers of our longest war.
5,799 days ago, on a crystal blue September morning, we came face to
face with an evil as old as time. Within days, our military was
engaged, and within weeks, we sustained our first
[[Page H6546]]
casualties. Our latest loss happened this very month.
They came from every walk of American life, from the North, the
South, the East, the West, every race, color, and creed, men and women.
The memorial authorized in this bill will allow the Nation to
remember not only those who did not come home, but also those with
life-changing injuries, visible and invisible, the incomprehensible and
too often unnoticed stress on the spouses and children of those
deployed, and the sacrifices of those who put their stateside lives on
hold to serve.
Mr. Speaker, amidst the divisions in our country today, we need this
memorial now more than ever, yes, to remember our fallen, but also to
bind us together as we reflect upon their sacrifice for the
transcendent ideals upon which this country was founded.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin, the gentleman from
Arizona, and the gentleman from Massachusetts for their work on this
legislation and for their service to our country.
Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Panetta). To show our bipartisan nature, we are going
to allow somebody from the Army to speak also on this bill.
Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, but
like a typical marine, he actually got it wrong. I was actually in the
Navy.
Mr. GALLEGO. That is worse.
Mr. PANETTA. I was a Navy officer. I am sure that was on purpose.
So standing here actually as a Navy officer, being asked to address
this bill, H.R. 873, and to support this bill, being asked by a bunch
of marines is a true honor, and it is very humbling at the same time.
Mr. Speaker, I do rise in support of H.R. 873, the Global War on
Terrorism War Memorial Act, to create the foundation, which will then
provide for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial right here on the
National Mall.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Gallego from Arizona; Mr. Moulton from
Massachusetts; and, of course, Mr. Gallagher from Wisconsin, my
classmate here in the 115th Congress, a fellow freshman. Again, it is
quite a privilege to stand here with these fellow veterans as peers,
but also as a true sign of bipartisanship in the House of
Representatives.
Now, I had remarks prepared yesterday to address the House about this
topic, but last night I went to Arlington National Cemetery. I took my
two daughters, who are here in town. We saw what people normally see,
the changing of the guard, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the tomb of
President Kennedy. But I made it a point to go to area 60, the area
where there are many recent interments from the people, from our
veterans, from our brethren, who have served in the global war on
terrorism.
On that hallowed ground, I made it a point to seek out someone I
served with, a gentleman by the name of Brendan Looney. I served with
Mr. Looney in Korea. He was an intelligence officer back then. Both of
us made sure that we wanted to do more. I went forward, but Brendan
Looney wanted to do more than just that: he wanted to become a SEAL,
and he did. He served in Iraq and he served in Afghanistan. It was in
2010 when the Blackhawk he was riding in went down and crashed, killing
everybody onboard.
Now, Brendan is interred in area 60 at Arlington National Cemetery
right along with his brethren, with his brother in arms, Travis Manion.
I looked at Travis Manion's tombstone, and on that tombstone is a quote
that I would like to share. On that tombstone, it says:
If not me, then who?
And right next to Mr. Manion's tombstone was another 19-year-old who
was interred there, a veteran of the global war on terrorism. And on
his tombstone was a quote that I would like to share. It said:
I just want to do my part.
Mr. Speaker, it is this attitude that was inscribed on those
tombstones which is the attitude of this generation of veterans who
served in the global war on terrorism, my generation, our generation,
men and women who didn't step back; instead, they stepped forward. They
didn't just step forward; they ran forward, they ran to the fight.
Now, also at Arlington National Cemetery was another quote that I
would like to share, and it was from John F. Kennedy. The quote that
they had up there by his tomb was from one of his speeches, in which he
stated:
In the long history of the world, only a few generations
have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour
of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility.
I welcome it.
{time} 1145
The men and women who served in the global war on terrorism did not
shrink from that responsibility. They did not run away. They ran
forward.
So, Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is important to have this memorial
because the families, the friends, the men and women of this country
should not just have to go to cemeteries to honor those who served and
paid the ultimate sacrifice. That is why I stand here, Mr. Speaker, in
full support of the memorial here on the National Mall to not just
honor, but to celebrate the service and the sacrifice of the veterans
of the global war on terrorism.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he
may consume to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Gallagher), who has
brought this legislation before us today.
Mr. GALLAGHER. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to quickly add my thanks to
the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton), who started this effort
in the last Congress with another colleague of ours, and I was
fortunate enough to join that team when I arrived here. Without his
dedication from the start, we would not be at this moment today.
I would also thank him for his example of leadership in the Marine
Corps and in Congress, which has inspired a generation of marines like
myself. And while we don't agree on everything, we always look for ways
to work together.
It is my belief in just listening to these speeches, particularly
from the veterans who serve in Congress, that there is so much that we
can work together on; and there are forces that are trying to divide
us, but there is still so much that we can agree upon.
So while this may seem like a small step, I would submit that this is
big. And I hope this is the beginning of more work that we can do on
behalf of the country, and that is what it should be about at the end
of the day.
So I just thank all of my colleagues. I thank the chairman for his
help. I couldn't be more proud that, in a divided time, we came
together to do something good on behalf of past generations of veterans
and on behalf of the next generation.
Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Again, I thank Congressman Gallagher, Congressman Moulton, and all of
the veterans who have sponsored this bill in remembrance of our
brothers and sisters from the global war on terrorism.
I would like to speak a couple more minutes just because I rarely
have the opportunity to speak about the guys that I served with. It was
a group called Lima 325 out of Ohio. It was one of the best groups of
men who I probably have ever met. We were nice young men from New
Mexico that were suddenly added to these country boys and city boys
from Ohio and sent to the middle of nowhere, Iraq. And from there, we
saw a lot of combat. We lost a lot of friends.
In section 60, many of us veterans have this tradition where we go
and we put our quarters on the headstones of the men we served with.
And I, unfortunately, have to put down a lot of quarters.
But one of the things that I will always remember is that this unit,
Lima 325, really brought people from all walks of life in America. You
had African Americans, you had country boys from Ohio, you had Navajo
from the Navajo Nation and other parts of our Tribal Nations, you had
Latinos.
We even taught some of the Ohio boys how to cook since they don't
really have good taste. We introduced them to the idea of green chili,
which I have heard has now taken off in Oliver, Ohio. And we lived
together for 7 months, going from house to house, from hole to hole.
And even today, though many of us cannot see each other, we still live
with each other in our spirits and in our souls.
[[Page H6547]]
These types of memorials matter. For many of us, this generation is
not the generation that served together on a base. Many of us actually
served from different parts of the world. We dropped our jobs and what
we were doing, our school sometimes, to join in, leave our families,
leave the comfort and safety of the United States to go and defend what
we believed was important to this country and to honor our commitment.
Sometimes it is these types of memorials that are the only thing that
actually bring us together. I recently was lucky enough to have my 10-
year reunion with the guys from Lima Company, and that is the first
time I had seen many men that I had lived with for so long. It was a
very inspiring as well as moving, and really consoling thing for me.
I believe that having a memorial of this nature would be extremely
important for many men and women to be able to see, to be able to come
and maybe not necessarily physically meet with their partners, with
their comrades, but to at least be able to spiritually have a place to
meet with their comrades, with the people that they served with in
arms.
Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
With this vote, we will begin proceeding on this memorial and begin a
process of planning a great work to honor the bravery, sacrifice, and
patriotism to those who have defended Western civilization from the
medieval barbarism that has reappeared in our time.
But even more importantly, we begin work on a tangible promise for
future generations, a promise animated by the heroic deeds of these
veterans, the promise of a coming age of liberty and justice, of peace
and tolerance that will surely come. I ask for adoption of this
measure.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 873.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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