[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 21, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H4060-H4061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) is recognized 
for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the historic vote taken exactly 100 years ago when this body passed the 
19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote.
  The most powerful tool we have is to share our voice, cast our 
ballot, and exercise our right to vote. This momentous vote finally 
allowed women to use that tool and forever have a voice in the future 
of our beloved Nation.
  Adolphine Fletcher Terry, a civic-minded woman from a prominent 
Little Rock family in the late 1800s and early 20th century, served her 
State and her country tirelessly to promote the education of women and 
women's rights. Terry marched for voting rights for women during the 
ratification process in 1920, saying: ``To me, the vote represents more 
than just saying how a person feels about an issue or a candidate. It 
represents human dignity and the fact that a citizen can express his or 
her opinion on any subject without fear of reprisal. That, I think, is 
what real human dignity consists of.''

  In advance of the final State's ratification vote in Tennessee, both 
suffragists and antisuffragists began wearing roses to identify their 
respective sides. Those favoring women's voting rights wore yellow 
roses; those against wore red roses. I proudly, today, have worn a 
yellow rose on my lapel throughout today's activities to show my 
support of women's right to vote.
  What a thrill it is and a proud thing to say, thank you, Madam 
Speaker, for your service.


                           Fentanyl Sanctions

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, across Arkansas, heartbroken 
families have told me of their stories about the opioid crisis and how 
it has claimed the lives of their loved ones. We can't allow more 
families to be destroyed by this truly national nightmare that is 
killing more than 130 Americans every day.
  Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control reported that fentanyl 
is now considered the number one U.S. opioid killer in 2018. Targeting 
the source of the world's largest producers and distributors of 
fentanyl will begin to stop the flow of these drugs coming across our 
borders and onto our streets.
  Madam Speaker, in just one Sweet'N Low packet, about a gram, an equal 
amount of this as fentanyl has the power to kill 500 of our citizens. 
That is why I am pleased to support the bipartisan legislation that I 
recently helped introduce, H.R. 2483, the Fentanyl Sanctions Act. This 
takes the necessary steps to target the bad actors responsible for 
illegally trafficking fentanyl into the United States.
  I applaud my colleagues Max Rose of New York, Anthony Brindisi of New 
York, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania for their support in 
introducing H.R. 2483.
  This legislation is the first ever fentanyl sanctions effort by the 
House of Representatives. It will apply pressure on the Chinese 
Government to honor their commitment to make all fentanyl illegal in 
China. This bill will also provide the United States with more tools 
and resources to go after illicit traffickers in China, Mexico, and 
other countries.
  H.R. 2483 has support from both parties and both Chambers, and we 
need to act now in order to get this done. We cannot wait any longer.


       Association of Military Banks of America 60th Anniversary

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the 
60th anniversary of the Association of Military Banks of America.
  Just as they did back in 1959, military banks today consider 
themselves privileged to provide financial services, support, and 
education to the military and veteran communities across this country.
  I am particularly proud that First Arkansas Bank and Trust, which 
serves our airmen and -women at Little Rock Air Force Base, is one of 
these military banks.
  On base, financial institutions have proven to be the single best 
sources of financial education and support available to our troops. 
They ease financial burdens and stress faced by our troops and their 
families so that they can focus on their mission of protecting our 
great Nation.
  Congratulations on 60 years of serving the financial needs of our 
Nation's heroes.


          Court Security Officer of the Year, Jimmy Howington

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
life of a security officer who continues to have an indelible impact on 
my State of Arkansas, Mr. Jimmy Howington, who this year was the Court 
Security Officer of the Year.
  Jimmy is one of 33 court security officers in Arkansas and serves 
under the jurisdiction of the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
  He was chosen for the award from roughly 600 court security officers 
working in 30 courthouses in the seven States within the Eighth 
Circuit's jurisdiction.
  Jimmy was recommended for this honor for noticing and investigating 
two suspicious situations on courthouse property during a period of 
several bomb threats at Little Rock's Richard Sheppard Arnold U.S. 
Courthouse, where he has worked since 2016.
  A former state trooper and sergeant major in the United States Marine 
Corps Reserve, Jimmy's life of service makes him well deserving of this 
award.
  I would like to extend a hand of gratitude and congratulations to him 
for his selfless service to Arkansas and our Nation.


                     Brigadier General Paul Rowlett

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
accomplishments and to congratulate Brigadier General Paul Rowlett, who 
recently was promoted to brigadier general of the Arkansas Air National 
Guard.
  Rowlett is a native of Salem, Arkansas, and as a brigadier general 
will serve as the chief of staff for the Arkansas Air National Guard.
  He joined the military in 1988 and is currently an intelligence 
officer with the National Guard and works with remote-piloted aircraft. 
His duties include strategic planning on current and future missions.
  Rowlett has been assigned to Active-Duty positions throughout his 
career, including locations such as Guantanamo Bay, and recently he has 
been assigned to Little Rock Air Force Base for the majority of the 
time since 2001. He has become one of only three general officers in 
Arkansas.
  My congratulations and best wishes for Brigadier General Rowlett and 
his bright future defending our beloved Nation.


          National Wildlife Refuge System Employee of the Year

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Eric 
Johnson of the Central Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge Complex for 
being named the National Wildlife Refuge System Employee of the Year by 
the National Wildlife Refuge Association.

[[Page H4061]]

  Eric is an administrative forester that is in charge of restoring and 
managing some 90,000 acres of forested habitat for waterfowl and 
migratory birds in the lower Mississippi Valley.
  While protecting this extensive acreage, he developed the Nation's 
first Spatial Habitat Management Plan. This plan will serve as a new 
national standard for refuge systems and protect all of Arkansas' five 
refuges, including Bald Knob's Wildlife Refuge in my district.
  His service to the State of Arkansas and to wildlife conservation 
will not be forgotten, and I join all Arkansans in congratulating Eric 
on this recognition and wish him much continued success.


                          U.S. Policy in Syria

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak out 
against the daily atrocities in Syria.
  Few would have predicted that 8 years ago peaceful protests would 
turn into violent conflict that has left more than half a million men, 
women, and children dead, millions more displaced, and the entire 
region feeling like a lit fuse ready to explode into further conflict.
  Shortly after coming to Congress, I met Mouaz Moustafa, a young 
Syrian American from Arkansas who has been leading a Syrian pro-
democracy group here in Washington called the Syrian Emergency Task 
Force.
  After meeting Mouaz, I studied his efforts and learned more and more 
about the horrific events happening in Syria over the past few years.

                              {time}  1915

  Mouaz led me through the Caesar file photos in a special exhibit at 
the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Earlier this year, he 
introduced me to Omar Alshogre, who was arrested as a teenager and 
survived the torture, starvation, and other brutalities in Assad's 
prisons for more than 3 years. Seeing those photos and hearing Omar's 
personal testimony were powerful experiences.
  I believe what is happening in Syria today is a modern-day holocaust, 
and our obligation to end Assad's reign of terror is something that all 
Americans must confront.
  I am grateful for The New York Times and its recent extensive front-
page story, in last Sunday's newspaper, going inside Assad's torture 
prisons.
  Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a link to this article: 
www.nytimes.com/2019/05/11/world/middleeast/syria-torture-prisons.html
  Madam Speaker, it is the experiences shared by former prisoners like 
Omar that remind us of the likes of Hitler, Mao, and Stalin. Bashar al-
Assad can add his name to this list of barbarous thugs who rule with 
evil, torture, and mass murder.
  We have known about these atrocities for years but have only 
expressed outrage while we twiddled our thumbs as these modern-day 
Hitlers annihilate the civilian population in Syria.
  I commend Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for passing S. 1, 
the Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act.
  Last week, many of us, including myself, signed the discharge 
petition for the companion legislation to S. 1 here in the House, H.R. 
336 sponsored by  Mike McCaul from Texas. This legislation includes the 
Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which has critical provisions to 
hold Assad accountable for his atrocities.
  As Speaker Pelosi well knows, this House, under Republican 
leadership, has passed the Caesar bill three times over the last three 
Congresses, only to have it bogged down in the Senate.
  Now Leader McConnell has acted, and we, in the House, must now act 
with expedition and pass H.R. 336 to end this step back into darkness, 
to stop the torture and the murder of thousands, and to move to convict 
Assad and his henchmen for war crimes.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.


  

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