[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 182 (Thursday, November 14, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8833-H8834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           APPRECIATION FOR FSA MARKET FACILITATION PAYMENTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Marshall) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, last week, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue 
announced another round of market facilitation payments to help farmers 
and ranchers deal with the continued impacts of ongoing trade 
disruptions.
  President Trump is delivering on his promise to help agriculture 
producers while he works to open new markets and deliver free, fair, 
and reciprocal trade agreements for farmers and ranchers. While these 
payments serve only as a short-term solution, a Band-Aid, President 
Trump and USTR continue to fight, both day and night, to secure a deal 
with China.
  I also want to give a special shout-out and thanks to Farm Service 
Agency State Executive Director for Kansas David Schemm, my good 
friend. David and the men and women of Kansas' 105 FSA county offices 
work tirelessly to process tens of thousands of MFP applications for 
Kansas farmers.
  Thank you, David, and your team, for all you do for Kansas 
agriculture.


        Impeachment Evidence Shows No High Crime or Misdemeanor

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, this week, House Democrats began the 
public hearing phase of their partisan impeachment sham, which 
continues in a completely unfair, unjust, and unprecedented manner.
  There are at least four indisputable pieces of evidence showing no 
high crime or misdemeanor committed by the President.
  Number one, the July 25 call summary, the best evidence of the 
conversation, shows no evidence of pressure or conditions.
  Number two, President Zelensky and President Trump have both said 
there was no pressure on the call.
  Number three, the Ukrainian Government was not aware of a hold on 
U.S. assistance at the time of the July 25 call.

[[Page H8834]]

  Number four, President Trump met with President Zelensky, and the 
U.S. assistance flowed to Ukraine in September 2019, without Ukraine 
investigating President Trump's concern for corruption.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no objective evidence to undo the votes of 63 
million Americans.
  Not only do the Democrats and their leadership ignore the facts in 
order to impeach President Trump, but they are also ignoring the 
American people by failing to get anything done.
  Republicans stand at the ready to pass USMCA, secure our border, and 
create a bipartisan plan to lower prescription drug costs. Sadly, 
Democrats intend to deny the American people such progress.


               Commemorating Service During Military Week

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Veterans Day, this week is 
Military Week for our office. This week, we will honor the sacrifices 
of those who have and are currently serving in America's armed forces.
  This year, our office took part in the 2019 Veteran History Project 
to give our Nation's heroes a platform to tell their stories. This 
project will allow future generations to hear directly from veterans to 
better understand their realities, the personal sacrifices of war, and 
the importance of public service.
  For this project, our office interviewed three constituents from the 
Big First District about their military service. All three gentlemen 
not only served their country overseas but returned home to make 
lasting impacts on their communities and create a better Kansas for all 
of us.
  Listening to these veterans' stories of sacrifice and bravery is 
quite inspiring. Thank you to each of these fine gentlemen for your 
service, for your families' sacrifices, and for sharing your stories 
for future generations.


                  Fighting Northwest Kansas Wildfires

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday, a disaster declaration 
was issued for Cheyenne County in northwest Kansas after a series of 
grass fires broke out between St. Francis and Wheeler.
  Thanks to fast-acting volunteers and the National Guard, many homes, 
farms, and, most importantly, families were kept safe. Even pheasant 
hunters out on opening day pitched in to help fight the fires.
  Time and time again, rural Kansans rise to the occasion and the 
challenges to provide for their communities' needs without a moment's 
notice. That is what Kansans do. These are Kansas values.
  Thank you to all the first responders, the troops, and the citizen 
volunteers who bravely responded to put out these fires in Cheyenne 
County. Thank you for helping take care of your neighbors.

                              {time}  1045


           Highlighting Improvements to VA Healthcare System

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Military Week in my office, I 
would like to take a moment to highlight improvements made to our VA 
healthcare system by the VA MISSION Act. This week, our office 
partnered with Newman Regional Health Center in Emporia to host a 
community forum to share information about healthcare options available 
to veterans through the VA MISSION Act, which went into effect June 6.
  Since being implemented, the VA MISSION Act has benefited thousands 
of veterans in Kansas greatly, allowing them the option to get care at 
home. In rural Kansas, it can be costly and burdensome for many 
veterans to travel to a nearby VA facility which might be as many as 2 
to 3 hours away. The MISSION Act enables them to seek the care they 
want from a provider closer to home.
  We must continue to empower our veterans, providing them with the 
choice they need to receive the care they deserve, the care we promised 
them all. Thanks to Congress and the work of the Trump administration, 
we are taking steps to provide our veterans the very best of care 
because they deserve nothing less.

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