[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 20, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4411-H4412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE DEFENSE POW/MIA ACCOUNTING AGENCY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. LaTurner) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation 
for the men and women at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
  These Americans work tirelessly to provide the fullest possible 
accounting for the 81,000 servicemembers who remain missing from past 
conflicts.
  Earlier this year, scientists from the DPAA used dental and 
anthropological analysis, as well as chest radiograph comparisons, to 
positively identify the remains of United States Army Air Forces Staff 
Sergeant Wesley ``Bub'' Leon Jones.
  Staff Sergeant Jones was killed in action during Operation Tidal Wave 
when his B-24 bomber was shot down by enemy forces over Romania in 
1943. His remains have been unidentified for more than 80 years.
  Thanks to the DPAA, World War II veteran and proud Kansan Wesley 
Jones has finally returned home to Wichita and was laid to rest on 
Saturday.
  I am grateful for the historians, anthropologists, technicians, 
doctors, and scientists at the DPAA who are fighting every day to bring 
our heroes home.


                         leading with strength

  Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the greatest 
threat currently facing the United States of America: the Chinese 
Communist Party.
  Communist China, led by President Xi, is buying up American farmland, 
stealing our intellectual property, investing in our educational 
institutions, and spying on our most critical military installations. 
Make no mistake, the time of trusting and welcoming China into the 
global system is over.
  Pushing back against CCP aggression is not partisan. I am proud that 
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle came together to create the 
bipartisan Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the 
United States and the Chinese Communist Party to counter President Xi's 
efforts to undermine American leadership.
  It is vital that we put forward solutions to end our economic 
dependence on China, bring our jobs and supply chains back home to the 
United States, and make certain that our military is equipped to defend 
American interests and sovereignty.
  The Chinese Communist Party is knocking at our doorstep, and this 
threat is becoming more urgent every single day.
  It is crucial that President Biden starts leading with strength on 
the world stage to ensure the United States of America remains a beacon 
of freedom and hope for millions of people around the world.


             paying tribute to kansan miners and big brutus

  Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of southeast 
Kansas' most treasured monuments, Big Brutus.
  Standing 16 stories tall and weighing 11 million pounds, Big Brutus 
is the largest electric shovel of its kind. The colossal machine is a 
towering landmark on the otherwise flatland of West Mineral, Kansas. 
Here is a handmade wooden replica constructed by John Johnson.
  From 1963 to 1974, Big Brutus was in use for coal strip mining. In a 
day's work, Big Brutus could work at a speed of 0.22 miles per hour and 
lift 150 tons of coal in a bucket. This efficiency was revolutionary 
for its time and dramatically increased the success of coal mining in 
the region.
  The immortalization of this monument emphasizes the significance of 
Big Brutus in the development of engineering, but most importantly, it 
stands as a testament to southeast Kansas and the strength and 
fortitude of the people who live there.
  As Big Brutus celebrates its 60th year, I commemorate the generations 
of miners in southeast Kansas for their hard work and dedication.


        celebrating the chase county courthouse sesquicentennial

  Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 
sesquicentennial year of the Chase County Courthouse, the oldest 
operational courthouse in Kansas.
  The courthouse's construction began in 1871 and was completed in 
1873. Each

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year, visitors from across the country visit the Chase County 
Courthouse to admire its architectural design, stonework, and spiral 
staircase.
  Standing 113 feet tall, this iconic structure can be seen from many 
vantage points across the county and most prominently in the heart of 
downtown Cottonwood Falls.
  Unmatched in durability and design, the courthouse remains a living 
tribute to its builders and the Flint Hills pioneers who envisioned a 
courthouse that would stand and be of service to its residents for well 
over a century.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the county commissioners, members of the 
committee, and the entire Chase County community as they prepare to 
celebrate 150 years of their historic courthouse.

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