[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 12, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





 RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE HONORABLE RICHARD DALE NICHOLS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Marshall) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I speak 
today about the passing of the great Kansan and former Member of the 
United States Congress, my friend, Mr. Richard Dale Nichols.
  Dick was born in southeast Kansas and honorably served his country in 
World War II as a member of the United States Navy. Upon returning to 
Kansas, he attended Kansas State University and was a fellow Beta Theta 
Pi fraternity brother.
  After graduation, Dick entered the banking industry and, ultimately, 
settled down in McPherson, Kansas, where he served as president and 
then as chairman of the board for Home State Bank & Trust.
  In 1990, Dick was elected to the United States Congress, representing 
the Fifth Congressional District of Kansas. Two years later, following 
the census, Dick's district was eliminated, and he returned to life as 
a businessman, but he never gave up his passion and love for our 
country.
  Dick served as president of the Kansas Bankers Association, was 
active in the local Chamber of Commerce, and was a fellow Rotarian. He 
was a proud husband, father, and grandfather, and his outgoing, 
optimistic personality gained him new friends wherever he traveled.
  I had the opportunity to get to know Dick and will always be grateful 
for the time and energy he spent helping me find my way to Washington, 
D.C. When I was back in McPherson, I always enjoyed chatting with him 
about Kansas State athletics, fellow Beta fraternity brothers, and 
Republican politics.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with Dick's wife, Linda, and the entire 
Nichols family as they mourn the loss of a great Kansan and a great 
man. He will certainly be missed.


    Restoring Integrity of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of Secretary Sonny 
Perdue and the Department of Agriculture's proposed rule to restore the 
integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and 
implement the program as a safety net, not a way of life.
  In 2019, too many able-bodied men and women remain on the sidelines 
of our workforce. Recent data published by the U.S. Federal Reserve in 
February indicate a historically robust economy yet sluggish labor 
force participation rates, indicating a continued reluctance by some to 
engage in the workplace.

                              {time}  1015

  According to data from USDA, we have more families accepting SNAP 
dollars today than we did at the height of the financial crisis of 
2008.
  Despite major economic gains and today's record low unemployment; too 
many States are allowing people to opt out of work, leaving employers 
to spend valuable resources searching for men and women to fill our 
many vacant jobs.
  By requiring able-bodied adults without minor dependents who are 
seeking SNAP benefits to work at least 20 hours a week while 
participating in training or educational programs, we are ensuring 
these men and women are no longer disengaged from the labor market, but 
finding a way back to the workforce and long-term self-sufficiency.
  This Nation's economy is as strong as it has been in my professional 
lifetime. We must continue to encourage individuals to become self-
sufficient and find new employment opportunities.
  For too long, too many States have bypassed the rules and allowed 
able-bodied adults to neglect valuable job training and educational 
opportunities.
  Employers across the country have good-paying jobs that can help 
individuals move out of poverty and regain their independence and 
integrity.
  It is time we restore SNAP to its intended purpose, help men and 
women move back into the workforce, and take a major step in closing 
the workforce participation gap.


                       Closing the Digital Divide

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the progress made over 
the past two years to close the digital divide.
  Access to a reliable internet connection remains a significant 
challenge in rural America and across my district. Society is becoming 
more and more reliant on broadband, whether for access to educational 
resources, telemedicine, or precision agriculture technology.
  At the end of 2016, more than 26 million Americans did not have 
access to high speed internet. However, in a recent draft report 
circulated by Chairman Pai, that number dropped to just over 19 million 
at the end of 2017, with many of these new connections being in rural 
America. According to that report, fiber was deployed to another almost 
6 million homes by the end of 2018, which is the largest number ever 
recorded.
  Reducing regulatory burdens for deployment has helped to incentivize 
investment. Our local providers are working hard to leverage Federal 
programs, private dollars, and savings from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 
to further deploy broadband infrastructure to rural communities, better 
connecting our farmers, small businesses, and families. Companies like 
Rockhouse Motion, a digital media company in Geneseo, Kansas, or Rollin 
J Boutique in Phillipsburg, Kansas, both in my district, are able to 
thrive thanks to that internet connection.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud our efforts at the FCC, the USDA, and Congress 
to make broadband access in rural America both affordable and reliable. 
I also encourage my colleagues to continue working to ensure that 
Americans have access to an internet connection no matter where they 
live.

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