[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 104 (Wednesday, June 14, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H2894-H2900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The Chaplain, the Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben, offered the 
following prayer:
  God of the ages, we give You thanks for the past, for the present, 
for the future, and all the opportunities therein as we gather today, 
and we consider those whose past was dedicated to serving You and this 
country and their country with the abilities and the skill and the 
enthusiasm that You have graced upon them. Thank You that they have the 
opportunity, and we have the opportunity to honor their service in this 
moment together.
  In our present, may we realize that You are not done with us yet, 
that You have continued to give us opportunity, even an opportunity 
like this one here, to connect with people we haven't seen in a while, 
to connect with people over the pond, to be able to see that in this 
time and in this place, yet, we are needed, and that You look to us 
once again to our graces, our abilities, our skills, our enthusiasm, to 
find a way to serve You in a different way with as much effectiveness 
and purpose.
  So we give to You then our future that as we have dedicated ourselves 
in service to You and to our countries, we ask once again that You can 
look within us and You call within us a sense of reality, of purpose, 
and of hope that in our contributions, we will be effective, but most 
importantly, faithful in our service to You. We pray these things in 
the strength of Your name.
  Amen.


                          Pledge of Allegiance

  The Honorable Barbara Comstock led the Pledge of Allegiance as 
follows:

       I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of 
     America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation 
     under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

  Mrs. COMSTOCK. I now ask the clerk to call the roll of all former and 
retiring Members.
  The Clerk called the roll and the following Members answered 
``present'':
  Mr. Altmire of Pennsylvania
  Mr. Carnahan of Missouri
  Mrs. Comstock of Virginia
  Mr. Davis of Tennessee
  Mr. Dioguardi of New York
  Mr. Goodlatte of Virginia
  Mr. Gordon of Tennessee
  Mr. McMillen of Maryland
  Mr. Nye of Virginia
  Mr. Payne of Virginia
  Mr. Ross of Florida
  Ms. Sanchez of California

[[Page H2895]]

  Mr. Stearns of Florida
  Mr. Upton of Michigan
  Mr. Yarmuth of Kentucky
  Mr. Baird of Washington
  Mrs. COMSTOCK. The Chair announces that 13 former Members have 
responded to their names.
  The Chair now calls on the Honorable L.F. Payne of Virginia, 
president of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress, to 
address the Members.
  Mr. PAYNE. Good morning.
  Barbara, thank you very much. It is always a great honor and a real 
pleasure to be back here in the House Chamber and especially being here 
with friends and so many colleagues. Thank you all for being here.
  Let me begin by thanking Speaker McCarthy for inviting our 
association into the House Chamber for this annual report. You may 
recall that it wasn't that long ago in December when we were here to do 
the 2022 report. You may wonder why are we back so soon. Well, the 
reason for that is that we are returning to normal. We had changes 
during COVID, and now we are back to what we have done for a very long 
time. I am so pleased that we are here and so pleased that you all have 
joined us.
  I want to welcome a very special group of guests who are with us 
today. We are very pleased to have more than a dozen of the Irish 
Association of Former Parliamentarians and their guests who traveled to 
Washington to join our annual meeting. They are led by their 
association's president, Mary Flaherty, and they will be with us today 
for the activities of the day. They will experience the Gettysburg 
battlefield tomorrow and Congressional Baseball Game tonight, which is 
a wonderful bipartisan tradition where the Democrats and Republicans 
play each other at the Nationals Ballpark. We thank you all so much for 
coming a long way to join us, and we are very honored by your presence 
here.
  Like most of you here, I consider my service in Congress to be the 
most important and impactful chapter of my professional life, and the 
memories that are evoked standing here in this Chamber are ones that 
are really very, very special. I cherish these relationships, and I 
cherish the relationships I had with my colleagues and the 
congressional staff when I was a Member of Congress.
  I am proud of the legislation that I was involved in. There is a 
great sense of satisfaction, as you all know, that comes with public 
service. That is what I remember most, and that is what I try to 
highlight when I speak about our Congress, our Article I branch of the 
Constitution.
  That is why I am so committed to this organization, the U.S. 
Association of Former Members of Congress, because it empowers those of 
us who have served to be able to continue to give back. We do so by 
both involving Senators and House Members, and more importantly--and 
this is really important today, more than a lot of other times--we are 
doing this in a completely bipartisan manner. Today, you will hear 
members of the Democratic Party and members of the Republican Party 
speaking about our organization, the U.S. Former Members of Congress.

  We will focus today, my colleagues and I, on two of the main programs 
that achieve our mission. First is the Congress to Campus program, 
which aims to engage the next generation in representative democracy. 
Second are the Congressional Study Groups, which have become an 
unparalleled resource to current Members, and they serve to strengthen 
our important international relationships with our allied countries, 
including Korea, Japan, Germany, the EU, all while fostering 
bipartisanship in Congress.
  Let me just briefly highlight some of our accomplishments, our 
organization's accomplishments, during the first half of this year 
before we get to those two main programs. We had a record year this 
year for recruiting, with an unprecedented number of new former Members 
joining us both as annual members and sustaining members.
  Of the Members who left in the last election, more than half have 
already joined our organization, and the recruiting process is still 
going on. This new class of former Members has yielded our biggest 
number yet of new sustaining members, which is a special category of 
membership. These folks make financial commitments to ensure the 
longevity of FMC, our organization, the Former Members of Congress. I 
want to thank all of the former Members who have made this commitment.
  I am inserting into the Congressional Record their names to help 
express our appreciation and our gratitude.

                       Sustaining Members of FMC

       The Hon. Les AuCoin (Oregon)
       The Hon. Brian Baird (Washington)
       The Hon. Joe Barton (Texas)
       The Hon. Mike Bishop (Michigan)
       The Hon. Rick Boucher (Virginia)
       The Hon. Susan Brooks (Indiana)
       The Hon. Cheri Bustos (Illinois)
       The Hon. Dave Camp (Michigan)
       The Hon. Ben Chandler (Kentucky)
       The Hon. Mike Conaway (Texas)
       The Hon. Paul Cook (California)
       The Hon. Ryan Costello (Pennsylvania)
       The Hon. Rodney Davis (Illinois)
       The Hon. Peter DeFazio (Oregon)
       The Hon. Val Demings (Florida)
       The Hon. Jeff Denham (California)
       The Hon. Charles W. Dent (Pennsylvania)
       The Hon. Sean Duffy (Wisconsin)
       The Hon. Donna Edwards (Maryland)
       The Hon. Elizabeth Esty (Connecticut)
       The Hon. Sam Farr (California)
       The Hon. John Faso (New York)
       The Hon. Bill Flores (Texas)
       The Hon. Martin Frost (Texas)
       The Hon. Tom Garrett (Virginia)
       The Hon. Bob Gibbs (OH)
       The Hon. Phil Gingrey (Georgia)
       The Hon. Dan Glickman (Kansas)
       The Hon. Bob Goodlatte (Virginia)
       The Hon. Bart Gordon (Tennessee)
       The Hon. Tom Graves (Georgia)
       The Hon. Gene Green (Texas)
       The Hon. John Hall (New York)
       The Hon. George Holding (North Carolina)
       The Hon. Asa Hutchinson (Arkansas)
       The Hon. Lynn Jenkins (Kansas)
       The Hon. Doug Jones (Alabama)
       The Hon. Kaiali'i Kahele (Hawaii)
       The Hon. John Katko (NY)
       The Hon. Ron Kind (Wisconsin)
       The Hon. Adam Kinzinger (Illinois)
       The Hon. John Kline (Minnesota)
       The Hon. Scott Klug (Wisconsin)
       The Hon. Brenda Lawrence (Michigan)
       The Hon. Andy Levin (Michigan)
       The Hon. Alan Lowenthal (California)
       The Hon. Elaine Luria (Virginia)
       The Hon. Jim Matheson (Utah)
       The Hon. Ben Michael McAdams (Utah)
       The Hon. Jim McDermott (Washington)
       The Hon. Mike McIntyre (North Carolina)
       The Hon. Pat Meehan (Pennsylvania)
       The Hon. Jeff Miller (Florida)
       The Hon. Jim Moran (Virginia)
       The Hon. Stephanie Murphy (Florida)
       The Hon. Randy Neugebauer (Texas)
       The Hon. Erik Paulsen (Minnesota)
       The Hon. Tim Petri (Wisconsin)
       The Hon. Ted Poe (Texas)
       The Hon. Kathleen M. Rice (New York)
       The Hon. Tom Rice (South Carolina)
       The Hon. Martha Roby (Alabama)
       The Hon. Peter Roskam (Illinois)
       The Hon. Dennis Ross (Florida)
       The Hon. Loretta Sanchez (California)
       The Hon. Kurt Schrader (Oregon)
       The Hon. James Sensenbrenner (Wisconsin)
       The Hon. Donna Shalala (Florida)
       The Hon. John Shimkus (Illinois)
       The Hon. Bill Shuster (Pennsylvania)
       The Hon. Lamar Smith (Texas)
       The Hon. Jackie Speier (California)
       The Hon. Cliff Stearns (Florida)
       The Hon. Steve Stivers (Ohio)
       The Hon. John Tanner (Tennessee)
       The Hon. Mac Thornberry (Texas)
       The Hon. Pat Tiberi (Ohio)
       The Hon. David A. Trott (Michigan)
       The Hon. Fred Upton (Michigan)
       The Hon. Greg Walden (Oregon)
       The Hon. Henry Waxman (California)
       The Hon. Rob Woodall (Georgia)
       The Hon. John Yarmuth (Kentucky)
       The Hon. Ted Yoho (Florida)

  Mr. PAYNE. In addition, we have supported the work of the House 
Democratic Partnership, so ably led by two of our good friends and 
colleagues, David Price and Peter Roskam, both of whom will be with us 
today. The HDP aims to support the legislative branches of emerging 
democracies and when invited to do so, we involved former Members in 
overseas legislative strengthening projects. This year, for instance, 
former Members have traveled to places like Kenya, North Macedonia, or 
Guyana to support the important work of the HDP.
  These are some of the 2023 highlights of two of our three objectives: 
teaching about Congress and supporting Congress as an institution. The 
third is FMC's original mission: to serve as an alumni group for former 
Senators and Representatives. We are aware that this is an important 
aspect of our work, and today's annual meeting clearly is a good 
example of that work.
  In addition, we have hosted author presentations. We have tapped into 
our membership's institutional knowledge. For example, during the 
recent debt ceiling negotiations, our members held seminars that others 
learned from. When the new rules package was adopted by the Congress in 
January, we explained to the public what that meant,

[[Page H2896]]

and we have sent former Member delegations overseas to places like 
Iceland and Korea.
  At this point, I want to give my colleagues an opportunity to talk 
more about our two main programming staples that the Former Members of 
Congress are rightfully very proud of. They are the Congress to Campus 
program, as well as our Congressional Study Groups.
  I invite my colleague, Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, to make some 
remarks. He will be followed by Loretta Sanchez of California. We will 
then hear from Dennis Ross of Florida and Bart Gordon of Tennessee who 
will each talk about the Congressional Study Groups.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Thank you, L.F., for giving me and Loretta the chance 
to report to the membership on FMC's largest and most important 
domestic program, Congress to Campus. Loretta, who is a good friend, 
and I had the opportunity to actually participate in the program 
together. We have both done it many times, but we were together at 
Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Pennsylvania just last 
year.
  L.F., thank you for your outstanding leadership of FMC and for your 
tireless efforts to make us an even better organization. I know I speak 
for our board and our membership when I say how much we appreciate all 
that you do for the Former Members Association.
  I want to take a point of personal privilege now and join L.F. in 
welcoming the former members of the Irish Parliament. I do so, 
especially to Leader Flaherty because my wife, Mary Ellen Flaherty 
Goodlatte, is a first-generation American. Both of her parents were 
born in Connemara, west of Galway. On the west gate of the town of 
Galway, it says in Gaelic, from the fierce wrath of the O'Flahertys, 
dear Lord please save us. I married into that family.
  As those of you who are active with FMC know well, the Congress to 
Campus program brings bipartisan pairs of former Members of Congress to 
college campuses for a day and a half to 3 days at a time to meet with 
classes, student groups, clubs, local media, faculty, and other members 
of the campus community.
  We don't shy away from difficult conversations with these various 
audiences, and our bipartisan teams engage in frank, honest dialogues 
about our legislative branch in action, public service, our democracy, 
the role citizens play, current legislative issues, and other topics 
dictated by the headlines. Just because we are former Members of 
Congress doesn't mean we no longer have strong opinions shaped by our 
values and political beliefs. We continue to be partisan beings, and we 
showcase to our audiences that you can be partisan but still respectful 
and civil and that a clash of ideas is actually a good thing. We call 
it healthy partisanship, and that is what we showcase with Congress to 
Campus.
  When you go to a Congress to Campus visit with a colleague from the 
other side of the political aisle, you will be asked to share real-life 
experiences in both the political and public realms. You and your 
colleagues discuss your unique experiences, balancing public and 
private lives, giving an unparalleled insight into the many roles of 
our elected Representatives. In addition, you will focus on the real-
world application of policymaking and illustrate how government policy 
influences the everyday lives of citizens. Congress to Campus is an 
exceptional insight into life in Washington and on Capitol Hill.
  During a typical visit to a campus, Members arrive the evening before 
the full day of programming and connect with students and faculty right 
away with a welcoming reception. The next day starts around 8 or 9 in 
the morning and lasts until 5 or 6 in the afternoon, meeting with 
students for the entire day. The school is responsible for putting 
together the minute-by-minute schedule, which Members receive before 
hopping on a flight or driving in their car. Members then spend half of 
the third day with students on campus and the other half heading back 
home. During any regular visit to a campus, Members meet with anywhere 
between 150 to 800 students. Most importantly, we let the school 
dictate the schedule. Our conversation with the school always starts 
with: What is the best use of this resource? How can our Members team 
be most productive for your students?
  Currently, there is a great deal of negativity surrounding Congress. 
The Congress to Campus program highlights the power of bipartisanship, 
the dignity of public service, and the importance of an actively 
engaged citizenry.
  The three goals of Congress to Campus are first, to showcase civil, 
respectful, and productive debate on issues where former Members still 
wear their partisan hats, like environmental policy or the Second 
Amendment, but can engage the students in a back and forth, very 
different from the shouting matches they witness on cable news and 
social media, and, I hasten to add, all too often nowadays on college 
campuses themselves.
  Second, to encourage public service in the next generation, show 
interested students a path toward Capitol Hill, and mentor future 
public servants.

  Third, to remind the students of their roles as citizens. They need 
to be active participants in our representative democracy. Otherwise, 
our form of government does not work. Students hear from the former 
Members that, at a minimum, they have a responsibility to be informed 
voters, but Congress to Campus also shares the many other ways those 
being represented can hold accountable those doing the representing.
  The program is important because it helps present a positive image of 
how government should work and can work, and it is really important for 
students and faculty to see Democrats and Republicans talking to each 
other, joking with each other, agreeing with each other on some things, 
disagreeing on other things, but with grace and respect and ultimately 
teaching that people can and do like others who come from different 
backgrounds and points of view. This is something that there is just 
too little of today.
  The former Members of Congress all donate their time and insight pro 
bono to the program. None of them receive any fee or honorarium for 
their time. FMC funding only goes toward covering travel and lodging 
costs. Congress to Campus is made possible, thanks to the support of 
the Stennis Center and the Park Foundation.
  This past spring, Congress to Campus went to 16 different college 
campuses, 13 in-person and 3 virtual, reaching nearly 10,000 students. 
This fall, Congress to Campus is slated to host over 25 programs, which 
is a record-breaking semester by far. Most schools are hosting in-
person programming, but there are still opportunities to hold these 
events virtually, as well.
  To date, Congress to Campus sessions have been held on 181 campuses 
in 43 States and 5 countries with 2 new countries reaching out for 
programming this year. In just the past 10 years alone, the program has 
reached almost 60,000 students. Every year, Members donate between 800 
and 1,000 hours to the program.
  A faculty member at Boise State, who participated in programming 
earlier this year said: ``The Congress to Campus event went really 
well. Both Representatives were fabulous and very open to the busy 
schedule. It was a near perfect 3 days, and I look forward to doing it 
again. Representative Smith was wonderful, and I would recommend her to 
any Congress to Campus program. She has an interesting story that 
resonated with a lot of different people. Representative Jones was also 
fantastic. We would have him back for other events without hesitation. 
He is a perfect representation of the program, and I hope you are able 
to entice him to other Congress to Campus events in the future. Truly 
A-plus-plus.''
  To quote a student from Skidmore College in New York: ``Coming here 
today, [for the former Members] it was not a political opportunity. For 
them, it was just a talk about their beliefs and their experiences. So, 
it was definitely a new experience for me, and it was very 
refreshing.''
  A professor from the school also stated: ``First, we talk about 
congressional committees. We talk about term limits. We talk about 
elections and gerrymandering in my class. But to hear the Members of 
Congress talk about how they experience those things, at a real level, 
just brings that material alive.''
  Another wonderful aspect of Congress to Campus is the summer program 
with Envision by WorldStrides. Envision is where over 225 middle school 
students

[[Page H2897]]

gather in this very room to listen to a bipartisan pair of former 
Members of Congress sharing their experiences and wisdom with young 
minds.
  As you entered the Chamber this morning, you actually ran into a 
group of Envision kids who had just concluded one of these sessions led 
by Steve Israel and myself. Every summer there are between 13 and 15 
slots to fill, 1 Democrat and 1 Republican each, every Tuesday and 
Wednesday during the summer. Programming started yesterday and happened 
earlier this morning. Out of the 26 spots we have available, 25 have 
been filled so far. We need one last Republican volunteer.
  It is because of Members like you all, that students from around the 
Nation have the opportunity to come to the United States Capitol and 
hear Members from both sides of the political aisle discuss leadership 
and bipartisanship. That being said, if anyone will already be in D.C. 
on June 28 from 7:15 to 8:15 a.m., please contact Patricia Ochs at FMC. 
I encourage you to do so. It is a wonderful experience. You will feel 
like you were back in Congress again talking to a town meeting.
  I participate because I think it is a great way to reach young people 
and give them a positive understanding of how government is supposed to 
and actually can work. I also believe strongly that it is important for 
all of us, including students, to learn that an important part of 
solving problems in their daily lives is to work with and listen to 
others, including people you don't agree with, in order to solve 
problems and move ahead.
  Thank you very much for giving me this time, and I will now pass this 
on to my good friend from California, Loretta Sanchez.
  Ms. SANCHEZ. Thank you for yielding me the time, both Mr. Payne and 
Mr. Goodlatte, and good morning to everyone. What a pleasure it is to 
be here and to speak to you on one of our greatest programs, the 
Congress to Campus program.
  As Bob mentioned, the program continues to grow and to reach wider 
audiences. It is great because we get to educate and to inform our 
youth.
  Thanks to a grant from The Park Foundation these past 2 years, we 
have actively reached out to minority-serving institutions, such as 
historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving 
institutions, women's colleges, community colleges, Tribal colleges, 
and service academies.
  The Park Foundation is a nonprofit, and it is dedicated to advancing 
a more just, equitable, and sustainable society and environment, both 
nationally and in our local communities.
  They are committed to challenging the powers that threaten an 
independent media, a robust democracy, and the future of the planet.
  The Park Foundation helps with funding, specifically for these 
minority-serving institutions, to put the program on their campus.
  This year, we had 32 schools reach out to FMC to bring the program to 
their institutions. Seven of those were at these minority-serving 
institutions. The past spring, the number was four, and the fall before 
that, the number was three.
  The word is getting out about our Congress to Campus, and it is 
spreading, and I think it is making a difference.
  Most of us would agree that some students, or at least where I come 
from, I am a Latina, they don't get the opportunity to connect with 
current or former Members of Congress. Some don't even know what it is, 
quite frankly, and they want to be engaged. They want to be mentored, 
especially once they find out about what we are all doing here.
  The program allows them to have one-on-one experiences, to inspire 
them, to show them the path that leads to public service.
  A new vision and a possible extension of our current program is an 
idea that is called the Congressional pipeline.
  FMC will expand and build upon the current program we have by 
encouraging the next generation of public servants. That is what we are 
really about, getting people excited about doing what we have done or 
being a staffer here or being in our Federal agencies. We want them to 
want to be public servants and demonstrating how respectful debate and 
a focus on solutions is really the root of our American democracy.
  It is also going to provide unparalleled resources and opportunities 
to college students who participate in our Congress to Campus program 
and then want to take additional steps to become a public servant.
  We envision accomplishing these goals by bringing some of these 
students who have experienced our program, for example, at an HBCU or 
an Hispanic-serving institution to Washington, D.C., for the total 
Washington experience.

  The pipeline will do five things: It will provide equal access to 
opportunities for a wide range of students, including those students, 
like myself, who would have never had an opportunity to visit here or 
our district offices.
  It will provide Congress to Campus students with information and 
resources on pursuing public service career paths, both in person and 
virtually.
  It will facilitate opportunities for students to meet with 
individuals currently serving in Congress, and also the former Members 
because we are still important, including our staff, both in Washington 
and in the district offices.
  It will create a one-semester fellowship for four and six students, 
which would include a semester internship at the FMC office here in 
downtown Washington, D.C.; scheduling meetings each week with current 
and former Members and staff and ambassadors and embassy staff here in 
D.C. on how to pursue the careers in public service; of course, free 
time on weekends so they can go and see everything that you Irish 
leaders all want to go and see.
  It will establish a network of Congress to Campus grads and FMC 
fellows who, in turn, will help other students who are interested in 
following in their footsteps by becoming speakers, reaching out in 
their own home districts, et cetera, so that we can continue to move 
people into public service.
  We ask you to be a part of our Congress to Campus program, to help us 
to identify students, to help students seek bipartisanship and 
civility, that they are still alive and thriving and that this is the 
way forward, especially during a time that has been a difficult time 
for our Nation.
  One big testament to the program is our before and after surveys. I 
don't know about before, but 100 percent--imagine that--100 percent of 
students on their post-event survey say that their mind has actually 
changed for the better about Congress.
  The 76 percent--and I don't know what happened to the other 24, but 
76 percent say they want the Congress to Campus program to come back to 
their school again.
  I love this program. I love it because it makes me younger, right? 
When you are interacting with the young people, it makes you feel 
young. You hear their voices, their ideas. You hear their dreams about 
a better tomorrow. It makes me feel better about what kind of world we 
are leaving for our kids. They inform me. They inspire me. I see them, 
their minds clicking, thinking about how they can shape the world.
  Many of the students come up to me afterward and they say: How do I 
get involved in politics? And I hand them my card, and I say: Let's 
keep in touch; and we do. Many of them are working in their local areas 
now to become politicians, and they are not afraid of it. It is not a 
bad thing to be a politician.
  If you want to get involved, please contact Patricia Ochs, our 
Congress to Campus program manager.
  L.S., let me thank you again and echo what Bob said earlier about 
your exceptional leadership at FMC, and thank you for the opportunity. 
I really think it is a godsend to be able to participate in the 
Congress to Campus program. Thank you also for giving me the 
opportunity to report on the program.
  Mr. ROSS. Loretta, thank you. I admire your passion and your 
enthusiasm for the Congress to Campus program. I have had the fortunate 
opportunity, of course, of doing one of those digitally with you. It 
was inspiring for me as well and something I hope that we continue to 
develop with the game plan we have.
  Today, my colleague Bart Gordon and I would like to report on the 
Congressional Study Groups on Germany, Europe, Japan, Korea, and maybe 
in the future with Ireland--who knows.

[[Page H2898]]

  In the past year, there have been critical developments on the 
international stage amongst America's closest allies and partners 
around the globe.
  We witnessed the somber anniversary of the Russian invasion of 
Ukraine and rededicated ourselves to a robust and reliable NATO 
alliance and celebrated one of our closest partnerships in the Indo-
Pacific with Korea's President Yoon visiting Washington on an official 
State visit that culminated with his rousing speech right here in this 
Chamber.
  With consideration of these and other international developments, it 
is my great pleasure to highlight the work of the Congressional Study 
Groups on Germany, Japan, Europe and Korea, the flagship international 
programs of FMC.
  As you know, our four Congressional Study Groups are the most active 
and unparalleled peer-to-peer exchange involving current Members of 
Congress and senior congressional staff in a highly impactful dialogue 
with their colleagues in legislative branches overseas.
  In an ever-changing world, the year-round bipartisanship, and 
nonadvocacy outreach of these study groups to Capitol Hill remains the 
premier forum for productive, candid, and timely dialogue on the issues 
most relevant not only to America's leaders but to our friends and 
allies abroad.
  One is hard pressed to find another organization that so consistently 
engages a diverse group of Members of Congress, the diplomatic 
community, administration officials, the private sector, and civil 
society in such critical conversations.
  Each study group is proud to count over 75 Members of Congress as 
members, and each is led by a bipartisan, bicameral group of four co-
chairs. These co-chairs exemplify the study groups' dedication to 
meaningful and robust education, not only serving in their role at the 
official study group events, but connecting with the embassies and 
outside organizations to speak on panels, attend roundtables, and meet 
with countless visiting delegations to further the goals of their 
respective study groups and the international relationships that they 
support.
  In the past year, the study groups have led six tours for Members of 
Congress and their senior staff; engaged new Members of the 118th 
Congress in introductory events with our embassy partners; hosted a 
German delegation of parliamentarians, business leaders, and key 
members of German civil society on a study tour in Texas; and held 
dozens of roundtables between Members of Congress, chiefs of staff, the 
diplomatic corps here in D.C., and business advisory members on 
critical issues such as the war in Ukraine, the debt ceiling, the IRA, 
supply chain security, energy, and international security, among other 
topics.
  This critical work, however, would not be possible without the 
general patronage of a dedicated group of individuals, organizations, 
and business advisory council members.
  In particular, I recognize Dr. Satohiro Akimoto of the Sasakawa Peace 
Foundation USA, Thomas Byrne of The Korea Society, Sung Won Bae of the 
Korea Foundation USA, Heather Conley of the German Marshall Fund of the 
United States, Paige Cottingham-Streater of the Japan-U.S. Friendship 
Commission, and Julia Friedlander of the Atlantik-Brucke for their 
support as key funders of the Congressional Study Groups in 2023.
  We also benefit tremendously from our partners and Business Advisory 
Council, and I include their names for the Congressional Record.


           BAC partners to FMC and Congressional Study Groups

       Aflac, Allianz, All Nippon Airways, BASF, Bayer, B. Braun 
     Medical, Beam Suntory, Central Japan Railway Company, CJ 
     America, Deutsche Telekom, DHL, Fresenius SE, Hitachi, Honda, 
     Hyundai, Itochu, JTI, KITA, LG, Lockheed Martin, Lufthansa 
     German Airlines, Marubeni America Corporation, Mercedes-Benz, 
     Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Mitsubishi Heavy 
     Industries America, Mitsui & Co., Mizuho, NEC, Nissan, 
     Nomura, Panasonic, Philips North America, POSCO, 
     Representative of German Industry and Trade, Samsung, Sojitz, 
     Subaru, Tellurian, Toyota Motor North America, UPS, and 
     Volkswagen Group of America.

  Mr. ROSS. Since last year's report to Congress, FMC's Business 
Advisory Council has grown with the additions of Philips North America 
and LG. Our Business Advisory Council continues to benefit from the 
guidance and leadership of advisory board members Brad Knox of Aflac, 
Majida Mourad of Tellurian, Anna Schneider of Volkswagen, Mark Sobol of 
Longwave Partners, Jeff Werner of Panasonic, and Nancy Ziuzin Schlegel 
of Lockheed Martin.
  Amidst economic uncertainties, supply chain difficulties, and energy 
and climate crises, these companies continue to be champions for 
effective and productive dialogue between our elected parliaments. We 
thank them for their support of our Congressional Study Groups.
  In an increasingly tumultuous world where the bonds America shares 
with her allies abroad are more important than ever, I am proud to say 
the sustained involvement of our stakeholders and continued engagement 
with our international partners play a critical role in the maintenance 
and growth of these relationships and will continue to do so in the 
years ahead.
  I yield to my friend and colleague, Mr. Bart Gordon of Tennessee, for 
further remarks.
  Mr. GORDON. Thank you, Dennis, for giving us that overview of the 
Congressional Study Groups. I have been asked to elaborate a little bit 
on that with specific details, but first, Pete has asked me to give a 
quick tutorial for our Irish friends. We are glad you are here.
  This is really sacred ground for us and Members of Congress. This is 
the House Chamber. It is sort of like church, how you go back to the 
same pews. Over here on this side is where the Democrats normally sit. 
You have heard the expression ``side of the aisle.'' That is the aisle. 
Republicans normally sit over here.
  It is really an opportunity, since we don't have specific chairs, to 
interact, to go talk with somebody about a bill that may be coming up.
  Of course, here, where Barbara is, is where the Speaker would sit, 
but the Speaker really doesn't come in very often. Normally, it is a 
Speaker pro tempore. Next to her is the Parliamentarian to make sure 
that the Speaker doesn't get in trouble, and then Susan Cole is the 
Reading Clerk. There is a variety of other clerks down here. They are 
all part of the family and all make sure that things work well.
  When bills come before the Congress, you will see these tables behind 
us where there are microphones. What happens is we have a Rules 
Committee. The Rules Committee will say, okay, we are going to have a 
certain bill that Fred brought out of the Energy and Commerce 
Committee. It is going to have 4 hours of debate, equally divided 
between the Democrats and Republicans.
  Fred would be here as chairman of that committee, and the Democratic 
ranking member would be over on the other side. ``Ranking member'' 
means the senior member of the minority party. They then would yield to 
folks as they go through the debate.
  As a practical matter, there are not that many Members who are here 
during all of the debate because they can watch it on C-SPAN. When the 
bells start ringing, they know that they have 15 minutes to get here to 
vote.
  When you come in to vote, you have an ID card like that. If you look 
on the back of some of these chairs, that is where we put in our ID for 
votes. This wallpaper will come up, and you can see how everybody votes 
up here. Above each door, it is like a basketball scoreboard. You will 
see the yeas and the nays, and we will have visitors.
  This is a special place for all of us, and we are glad that you and 
the spouses are here.
  It really does become a family here. It is spouses, our staff, and 
our clerks. We all work together to try to make this thing work.
  Dennis gave you a good overview of the study groups. I am going to 
tell you a little more about it. Pete may give you a test, I am not 
sure, after this, but this year the FMC's Congressional Study Groups 
are celebrating an impressive and significant set of milestones. Our 
Congressional Study Group on Korea is celebrating its fifth 
anniversary. Our Congressional Study Group on Europe is celebrating its 
12th anniversary. Our Congressional Study Group on Japan is celebrating 
its 30th anniversary. Our Congressional Study Group on Germany has been 
active for 40 years.

[[Page H2899]]

  At their core, each study group engages an active cadre of 
Congresswomen and Congressmen dedicated to ensure productive dialogue 
between the prime decisionmakers in the United States Congress and our 
closest allies abroad.
  This meaningful dialogue among elected parliamentarians, however, 
doesn't succeed in a vacuum. It is my pleasure to showcase a few 
takeaways of our past programming year that highlight the diversity of 
the Congressional Study Groups' programming.
  The Congressional Study Groups' engagement has grown from beyond just 
including lawmakers in Washington to the active engagement of Members 
of Congress and their senior staff. It is complemented and synergized 
with discussions and events that draw from key voices in the executive 
branch, the diplomatic community, the private sector, and civil 
society.
  Over the past year, our study groups had a chance to welcome new 
Ambassadors upon their arrival to Washington, featured Foreign 
Ministers upon visiting the United States, hosted CEOs and chairmen of 
the world's largest corporations, and engaged expert pollsters and 
journalists.
  Congressional Study Groups gave current Members of Congress and 
senior congressional staff the chance to hear firsthand from our 
friends in Berlin, Tokyo, and Seoul about issues facing not just their 
nations but the everyday citizens of our closest allies.
  Far more than just a few exchanges with policy experts, each visit is 
designed to ensure our programming has a reach far beyond our capital 
cities. Delegations met with student groups, representatives of the 
media, cultural and historical experts, and policy experts, all to give 
a comprehensive and representative impression of the bilateral 
relationship with the United States.

  It bears repeating that all of our work through the Congressional 
Study Groups is completely bipartisan. Our delegations are always an 
equal mix of current Members or senior congressional staff from each 
side of the political aisle. As you all know, there is great value in 
creating opportunities for Members and staff to build relationships 
that transcend party labels.
  While the Congressional Study Groups aim to chiefly strengthen 
relationships with our allies overseas, they also are a great resource 
for our current Members seeking to build collegiality and trust with 
Members of the other party.
  Whether sending delegations abroad or hosting visiting delegations 
from overseas here in the United States, our mission remains the same: 
constructive, productive dialogue that informs, educates, and yields 
pragmatic solutions.
  In addition to our many U.S. delegations traveling abroad, the study 
groups brought decisionmakers from Germany to Texas, Louisiana, and 
Pennsylvania this past year to more deeply understand the issues that 
shape and inform American public opinion and the average voter.
  A further delegation of Japanese parliamentarians will visit Texas 
this September, and maybe they can figure out what is going on in 
Texas.
  In the spirit of furthering this dialogue among our friends and 
allies, FMC's Diplomatic Advisory Council continues to provide a form 
of high-level, candid dialogue among our partners abroad. This close 
group of dedicated diplomatic representatives based here in Washington 
grew in the past year to include 12 new Ambassadors. We now count 27 of 
the highest diplomatic representatives among this roster.
  As a matter of fact, I am going to the Irish Ambassador's residence 
next week as they say good-bye to the German Ambassador. She has been a 
good friend of our group.
  Furthermore, Ambassadors from Greece, Finland, the European Union, 
the Republic of Korea, and Japan have hosted over 30 individual Members 
of Congress through the council programs.
  Let me conclude--and I am sure you are glad to hear that--with one 
important point. You all have heard over the past few years how 
supportive FMC is of the work of the Select Committee on the 
Modernization of Congress. This committee, which is now a standing 
subcommittee of the House Administration Committee, identified several 
ways to strengthen bipartisanship and stronger ties among current 
Members of Congress. Among these recommendations aimed at civility and 
bipartisanship, the committee recommended the support and encouragement 
of bipartisan congressional delegation travels overseas, which is the 
work of Congressional Study Groups.
  I strongly encourage you as former Members to help educate the public 
about the importance of these types of experiences.
  FMC plays an incredible role through these study groups. All of us 
can play an equally important role by sharing our insights about this 
work that is so important to the Nation.
  Let me close with a bit of a historical note. As Lincoln Davis, my 
friend and neighbor from Tennessee, knows, Davy Crockett was a Member 
of Congress from Tennessee. He represented a portion of the old 
district that I had. He was the only Member of the Tennessee 
congressional delegation who voted against the Indian Removal Act. They 
were going to move them out somewhere. Because of that, he was defeated 
in his next election.
  He came and stood right where I am standing on the House floor. His 
last speech to the United States Congress was: I told my constituents 
that I would serve them to the best of my ability, and I did. So to 
hell with them. I am going to Texas.
  Mr. PAYNE. Bob, Loretta, Dennis, and Bart, thank you very much for 
those informative remarks, and thank you very much for all you do for 
FMC.
  Bart has told you about the important work done by the Congressional 
Study Group on Korea. I want to note that the study group is a program 
that is exclusively offered to current Members of Congress and current 
staff. However, there is a very active former Member program with 
Korea, which we call Korea ExDel, that runs in parallel with the study 
group.
  While wholly separate, both programs strengthen the U.S.-Korean 
relationship, and it would not be possible without the tireless work of 
two very dear friends of ours, former Member of Congress Jay Kim, who 
was the first Korean American elected to Congress, and his wife, 
Jennifer Ahn. Both of them are committed to the active and high-level 
dialogue involving the U.S. and Korea. Through Jay and Jennifer, we 
have sent several delegations to Korea.
  I thank them both very much for all that they have made possible and 
for their incredible support of FMC as an organization.
  I will take this opportunity to include in the Congressional Record a 
statement of appreciation for all of their very good work.

                                          Wednesday, June 14, 2023
     Hon. L.F. Payne,
     FMC President of Virginia House of Representatives,

   Honoring the Impact of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Kim to U.S.-ROK Relations

       Madame Speaker, I rise today to thank our former colleague, 
     the Honorable Jay Chang Joan Kim (R-CA, 1993-1999) and his 
     spouse, Mrs. Jennifer Ahn Kim, for their incredibly positive 
     impact on United States-Republic of Korea bilateral 
     relations.
       A survivor of the Korean War and witness to the birth of 
     the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance, Mr. Jay Kim was born 
     1939 in what is now Seoul, South Korea, and notably became 
     the first Korean American Member of Congress.
       After immigrating to the United States, Jay Kim completed 
     public schools in California and earned his undergraduate 
     degree in engineering in 1967 and subsequently, his master's 
     degree in environmental engineering in 1969, both from the 
     University of Southern California. A shining example of the 
     American Dream, Mr. Kim founded his own engineering business 
     with a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration. 
     Later, he tried his hand at local government and completed a 
     PhD in Political Science at Hanyang University in Seoul, 
     South Korea. In 1992, Mr. Kim handily won the race for the 
     newly drawn 41st Congressional District in California.
       In the 103rd Congress, Mr. Kim was assigned to the House 
     Public Works and Transportation and Small Business 
     Committees. He served on the panel for both the 104th and 
     105th Congresses, where he spoke out against the North Korean 
     regime. His tenure in the House helped pave the way for more 
     Korean American Member of Congress to follow. After departing 
     Congress in 1999, Mr. Kim continued to advance U.S.-ROK 
     relations as Chair of the Washington Korean-American Forum, 
     later founding his own organizations to promote the 
     advancement of U.S.-ROK relations, including the Jay Kim 
     Foundation.
       His wife, Mrs. Jennifer Ahn Kim, serves as Vice President 
     of the Jay Kim Foundation,

[[Page H2900]]

     and has worked diligently for many years to strengthen U.S.-
     ROK relations by developing delegations for Former Members of 
     Congress to South Korea, among numerous other programs. She 
     most recently has collaborated with the U.S. Association of 
     Former Members of Congress to help connect Korean government 
     officials, corporations, and civil society groups with our 
     membership.
       I wish to honor Former Member and Mrs. Jay Kim, for their 
     years of dedication and hard work to continue fortifying the 
     relationship between the U.S. and one of our key allies, as 
     well as for being a great partner to the U.S. Association of 
     Former Members of Congress. They have had a tremendously 
     positive impact on the two countries they both love so much: 
     Korea and the United States, and they are highly deserving of 
     our recognition and appreciation for all they have 
     accomplished.

  Mr. PAYNE. I also thank all of the many volunteers, the former 
Members of Congress who make FMC's success possible.
  All the work that you have heard about today is done by volunteers 
who are former Members of Congress. It is estimated that more than 
7,000 hours a year of volunteer time is donated to FMC, enabling us to 
carry on what we consider to be this very important work.
  In addition to volunteering their time, there are five members of the 
Executive Committee, and I thank Barbara Comstock, Donna Edwards, 
Dennis Ross, and Charles Boustany for that work.
  I thank our Board of Directors, a number of whom are here today. 
There are 30 of us on the board, and we certainly appreciate all that 
you do. You are really a great board, and you do great work. Thank you 
all.
  In that vein, we are asking now the membership of FMC to elect the 
2023 class of board members to a 3-year term. In the interest of 
expediency, I will read their names, four Democrats, four Republicans, 
and ask for a vote.
  The candidates are:
  Russ Carnahan of Missouri,
  Val Demings of Florida,
  Elizabeth Esty of Connecticut,
  Bob Goodlatte of Virginia,
  Brenda Lawrence of Michigan,
  Peter Roskam of Illinois,
  Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, and
  Fred Upton of Michigan.
  Do I hear a motion and a second?
  All in favor, say ``aye.'' Opposed, ``no.'' The ayes have it.
  Congratulations, and I thank all eight of you for your willingness to 
serve. You will be a great class.
  One last thank-you goes, importantly, to the staff of FMC: Pete 
Weichlein, who is here with us today; Sabine Schleidt, who is not with 
us at the moment; and all the folks who are here who are part of our 
FMC staff.
  When Pete first came 20 years ago, he was sort of all there was at 
FMC. Today, we have 13 very capable staff members, and I would like 
them, if they would, to stand. Let's give them a round of applause for 
all the good work they do.
  Finally, as many of you know, every fall, the FMC organizes a quite 
moving memorial service to pay tribute to the current and former 
Members who we lost in the previous year. We will do so again in 
September, and we hope you will be able to attend that. We are 
coordinating with Speaker McCarthy the best date for that to be held, 
usually in September in Statuary Hall.
  Unfortunately, we have lost a number of our friends and colleagues 
since we last gave our report to the Chamber in December.
  I include in the Congressional Record the names of these public 
servants.

   Members Who Have Passed Away Since Sept. 2022 FMC Memorial Service

       Standish ``Fletcher'' Thompson of Georgia
       James ``Jim'' Florio of New Jersey
       Mark Souder of Indiana
       Bill Brewster of Oklahoma
       William Conover II of Pennsylvania
       Gary A. Lee of New York
       Romano ``Ron'' Mazzoli of Kentucky
       Norman D. Shumway of California
       Carroll Hubbard of Kentucky
       A. Donald McEachin of Virginia
       James ``Jim'' Kolbe of Arizona
       William P. Curlin Jr. of Kentucky
       Elliott H. Levitas of Georgia
       Elwood ``Bud'' Hillis of Indiana
       Arthur Ravenel Jr. of South Carolina
       David Durenberger of Minnesota
       James ``Jim'' Broyhill of North Carolina
       John Olver of Massachusetts
       James Abourezk of South Dakota
       Brian Donnelly of Massachusetts
       Louis Arthur ``Skip'' Bafalis of Florida
       Patricia ``Pat'' Schroeder of Colorado
       John Jenrette of South Carolina
       Ronald ``Ron'' Sarasin of Connecticut
       Nick Galifianakis of North Carolina
       Elmer ``Bud'' Shuster of Pennsylvania
       Charles ``Charlie'' Stenholm of Texas
       Robert ``Marion'' Berry of Arkansas
       Thomas ``Tom'' Sawyer of Ohio
       Donald ``Don'' Bonker of Washington

  Mr. PAYNE. I now ask if you all might stand for a moment of silence 
for these people and the service that they provided.
  Thank you very much.
  This concludes our report. Let me remind you that, today, we have a 
full and exciting program, including tours of the Supreme Court and the 
Library of Congress, followed by a luncheon with the Ambassador and the 
people of Ukraine. Tonight, we have the Congressional Baseball Game, 
and tomorrow is our excursion to Gettysburg.
  I want to highlight, too, that all Members and former Members by now 
should have received a survey. I would really appreciate it if you 
would take the time to complete this. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes, 
but it is going to give us a lot of information, not only about your 
insights into today's politics, but as we are embarking on a strategic 
planning process, this will be very helpful information about what you 
think is important for us to be doing over the next 5 years.
  With that, I conclude my remarks, and I thank the Speaker for giving 
our association the opportunity to return to this place, which we 
cherish very much. Thank you all.
  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Thank you, L.F., for this report, and more 
importantly, thank you for your thoughtful and exemplary leadership of 
this outstanding organization.
  The Chair again wishes to thank the former Members of the House for 
their presence here today. Before terminating these proceedings, the 
Chair would like to invite those former Members who did not earlier 
respond when the roll was called to give their names to the Reading 
Clerk for inclusion in the roll.
  On behalf of the FMC, I thank the congressional staff who have helped 
make today's presentation possible.
  As always, you have been a terrific resource, and we continue to very 
much appreciate all of your service, both here today and, as always, 
every day.
  The meeting stands adjourned.

                          ____________________