[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H3762]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE SERVICE OF BILLY BARKER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a very distinguished 
American and longtime public servant of the people of Southeastern 
North Carolina as well as the United States Congress.
  Billy Barker has served this institution for 24 years, 18 years for 
former Congressman Mike McIntyre and 6 years with me as agriculture 
field director.
  He also served a number of years for North Carolina's longtime 
Commissioner of Agriculture, the late Jim Graham. Following more than 
three decades of serving the citizens of North Carolina, Billy recently 
retired from his work in public service.
  Billy was one of my first hires after I was elected to Congress in 
2014. He is a great friend who has been an incredibly valuable source 
of information for me and many others. The contributions he has made to 
the agriculture community and our farm families cannot be measured. 
Sometimes it was help on a pressing issue with USDA; other times, it 
was just a friendly visit to talk local scuttlebutt and take a break 
from the stresses on the farm.
  It is no exaggeration to say that North Carolina's farm economy 
wouldn't look the same without Billy's hard work and influence. Through 
numerous hurricanes and other storms, the COVID-19 pandemic, and every 
other challenge, Billy Barker has been a constant presence on the 
ground, providing our farm families and rural communities a steady hand 
to guide them through recovery and ensuring they have the resources 
they need.
  Without question, the citizens of North Carolina are better off for 
his service. I wish him a well-deserved retirement and a relaxing and 
rewarding next chapter of life. I am grateful for his service to the 
State, and I am proud to call him my friend.


Tribute to Bob Sutter, CEO of North Carolina Peanut Growers Association

  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my longtime 
friend, Bob Sutter, who will be retiring after serving 28 years as the 
CEO of the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association.
  Prior to his lifelong career in agriculture, Bob honorably served his 
country for 2 years in the U.S. Navy and 5 years in the U.S. Navy 
Reserve. From there, he worked for the USDA Farm Service Agency, and 
then later took the helm of the North Carolina Peanut Growers 
Association as its CEO in 1993.
  Bob has made countless contributions to the North Carolina 
agriculture community, everything from the formation of the National 
Peanut Board, educating the public on health benefits of peanuts, and 
advocating for research to improve yields. He leaves behind a 
successful legacy of helping peanut farmers and their families 
establish and maintain successful farms that support our Nation's 
abundant food supply.
  Bob has also been a leading voice for North Carolina producers when 
it comes to developing strong national farm policy. His advocacy in the 
halls of Congress and the executive branch of the Federal Government, 
as well as the State legislature and beyond, has been critical to the 
development and implementation of policies that have helped many of our 
farmers survive major challenges and succeed--whether they were caused 
by the weather, trade distortions, or the market.
  Bob has had a remarkable career, and on behalf of the agriculture 
community and the fine citizens of North Carolina, I thank him for his 
dedicated service to the State and to the many farm families he has 
represented all these years. I wish him and his wife, Sylvia, the best 
as they move into their next chapter of life.


                             Hyde Amendment

  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
longstanding Hyde amendment. For nearly 45 years, the Hyde amendment 
has received support from Republicans and Democrats alike. Lawmakers on 
both sides of the aisle understood that no taxpayer money should be 
used to fund abortion. Every President since Jimmy Carter has signed 
the Hyde amendment into law, including President Obama.
  As a Senator, President Biden was a strong supporter of the 
amendment. Yet, in his latest budget proposal, he removed Hyde 
protections that would enable taxpayer funding support for abortions, 
meaning that tax dollars taken from those who oppose it will now be 
used for just that. Regardless of where one stands on the issue, it is 
fundamentally wrong to take taxpayer dollars of someone who is opposed 
to abortion and use their hard-earned tax dollars to fund the same.
  On the question of life itself, the Hyde amendment is credited with 
saving more than 2.4 million innocent lives from abortions since 1976. 
It is our moral obligation to fight for and protect the lives of those 
who cannot speak for themselves, the lives of those who are no 
different than our own.
  I call on my colleagues to pass H.R. 18, the No Taxpayer Funding for 
Abortion Act, to stand up for pro-life Americans, preserve the Hyde 
amendment, and ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortion.

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