[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 184 (Wednesday, December 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6813-H6820]
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:
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Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
And so we pause in this place to acknowledge Your hand in the
governing of our Nation. We give thanks to You that from generation to
generation, and Congress to Congress, You have called men and women to
serve in this House, upholding the values of freedom and liberty on
which our country was founded. We honor their continued defense of the
rights and welfare of the people and communities who make up these
United States.
Call us this day and every day, in office or out, to acknowledge the
higher calling to which You call each of us, wherever You call each of
us.
May we ever live as agents of Your love, instruments of Your peace,
and advocates of the hope You set before us. In Your most holy name we
pray.
Amen.
Pledge of Allegiance
The Honorable Donna Edwards 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.
Ms. EDWARDS. At this time the Chair recognizes Former Members of
Congress President, the Honorable Barbara Comstock, for remarks.
Mrs. COMSTOCK. Thank you, Donna. It is always a great honor and
distinct pleasure to return to this wonderful Chamber, especially when
being able to do so with so many friends and former colleagues.
Let me begin by thanking Speaker Johnson for inviting our association
into the House Chamber for our annual report.
Like most of us, I consider my service in Congress one of the most
important and impactful chapters of my professional life. The memories
of this Chamber are among the highlights of my work.
I cherish the relationships I was able to forge with fellow Members,
and I am proud of the legislation I was part of, both as a Member and
as a staffer before I ran for Congress.
What makes FMC, the Former Members of Congress Association, so
special is that it empowers those of us who had this experience to
continue giving back. We do so by involving both Senators and
Representatives. More importantly, we do so in a completely bipartisan
manner.
FMC is 100 percent bipartisan, was founded in 1970, received its
congressional charter in 1983, and functions as a standalone 501(c)(3)
nonprofit charitable organization.
Though chartered by Congress, no taxpayer dollars are earmarked for
our work. Everything we do is funded through foundation grants and
contributions, and all of our former Members donate their time pro
bono. We don't pay any fee or honorarium for the many programs we are
about to describe.
Today my colleagues and I will focus on the two types of programs
that help us accomplish FMC's mission of strengthening democracy, our
international projects, most notably the Congressional Study Groups,
and our domestic work like Congress to Campus.
As you hear more about the work former Members are engaged in, you
will see that everything we do fits neatly into the mission of
strengthening representative democracy. An important part of
accomplishing that mission is to support current Members and Congress
as an institution. No work better illustrates that aspect of FMC than
our partnership with the House Administration Subcommittee on
Modernization.
We were privileged to work with Derek Kilmer of Washington and
William Timmons of South Carolina when this was a select committee, and
we are equally proud of our partnership with Chairwoman Bice as she
leads this newly created House Administration subcommittee.
Ms. EDWARDS. At this time the chair recognizes the Honorable Speaker
Mike Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for being here.
The SPEAKER. You know what, I am going to stand right in the middle.
How about that.
I am so grateful to all of you.
Barbara, good to see you.
Donna, thank you, and Cheri, and everybody who does so much good work
for this organization.
This has been a wild week for us. They are all wild weeks now. We
keep making history. I keep saying to Stephanie that we don't want to
make history. We just want a normal Congress. Nobody knows what that
looks like anymore.
It has been an interesting week. Monday night, I was in here. I was
doing a late-night tour. I don't get to do those anymore.
My son was here, Barbara. He is a freshman at the U.S. Naval Academy.
He brought 40 midshipmen, his classmates. They came in full uniform. It
is such a proud thing to see them here. Half the group had never been
to the Capitol before. They are just in Annapolis, but they come from
all over the country.
They came in here, and they were seated right here. I let them walk
in, as we do, for late-night tours. You have all done it. Everybody
just takes their seat. I said, you guys are all on the Democrat side.
It was fun.
I shared with them some of the neat features of our Chamber here.
What was really moving to me was the awe that was on their faces. Now
these are young people who have signed up to serve our country, and
they really believe in this grand experiment in self-governance like we
all do. To see the wonder, almost childlike wonder on the faces of
these midshipmen, was so moving to me because sometimes we get sort of
numb to it because of all the craziness every day. It is the
relationships here that help us through all these crazy times. I loved
seeing that on their faces.
I kept them for like 1\1/2\ hours. We took them in and I showed them
everything I could, every little secret spot and the Lincoln burial
tunnel and all that stuff.
Then yesterday was another stirring event. It really moved me. It is
hard to get moved these days because there is so much crazy stuff going
on, but we gave out the John W. McCormack Award, which is named after
Speaker McCormack who, I think, served 9 years as Speaker, but served a
total of 43 years in the House all the way through his career. This
award is given to a staff member, the highest award we give to the
House staff, for dedication, service, and bipartisanship.
We gave the award to two very worthy recipients yesterday. One of
them has been serving the House for 44 years. In fact, I brought the
names of both of these guys because you will know them.
You all probably know Ted Daniel. He finally got the award. He served
a year longer than John W. McCormack for whom this award is named,
which is pretty awesome.
Then Dan Turton, who tragically passed away last year. His wife and
his five children were there, his widow. It was very moving. The
remarks that both of those people gave about this institution, about
the people they served under and with, about Members who had come and
gone on to other things in their careers and some who had passed away,
it was so moving to just see that living history, somebody who has been
witness to it--who has served under almost all of you--and to see the
reverence that he has for this place and how important it is.
So what you do as the Former Members of Congress Association is carry
on this grand institution. It is such as awesome thing. We are the
stewards of this grand experiment in self-governance now. Current
Members, former Members, we have held that and carried it along. For
the younger folks here, you are not former Members, though I am glad
you are here.
I always remind younger people and remind myself that there is no
guarantee that this grand experiment in self-governance is going to
last. This still is an experiment. We are almost 250 years into it. It
falls to us, all of us, current Members and former Members, to help
carry that banner and people who will take it after us. It is an
awesome thing to consider.
I love me some Stephanie Bice. Can I say that? She is so worthy of
this award. She truly is because she exemplifies public service, a
servant's heart. She is an influencer because she has such integrity,
and there are not enough things that I could appoint her
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to or ask her to do. The problem is she will say yes to all of it, and
I don't want to wear her out.
There is no more worthy recipient.
So thank you all for your service to the country and what you do and
for carrying on this grand tradition. It means so much to all of us.
Sorry to interrupt. I would never interrupt.
Ms. EDWARDS. It is a great honor, your being here.
The SPEAKER. No, I am happy to do it. We have some new Members. Now
you are joining the real esteemed group.
I am grateful to all of you. Thank you so much. Sorry to interrupt.
Mrs. COMSTOCK. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I know it is like being a grandparent, Brandon. It is all the fun
without the responsibility.
This weekend, I was privileged to be able to bring some college
friends who were political science graduates like myself. They always
have that awe of being here.
So thank you all, and thank you, Mr. Speaker.
So much has been accomplished by FMC thanks to the commitment of
these Members, like Congressman Kilmer and Bill Timmons, who take a
close, hard look at how Congress operates as an institution and what
reforms can be made to empower Members and congressional staff.
I am pleased to announce that Derek Kilmer, once he becomes a former
Member in a couple of weeks, will join the FMC board and will continue
to be a partner to Chairwoman Bice in that capacity.
I am also pleased to welcome Chairwoman Bice to the House Chamber
this morning so that we can properly recognize her exceptional
leadership in this space. I would ask Chairwoman Bice to join me at the
dais.
FMC is incredibly pleased to present our 2024 Distinguished Service
Award to the chair of the House Administration Subcommittee on
Modernization, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma.
Thanks to your leadership, there have been remarkable strides in
fostering collaboration across party lines, proving that Congress can
work together for the common good.
Under your leadership, the subcommittee has made critical
recommendations that will have a lasting impact on the functionality
and effectiveness of Congress. From ensuring access to legislative
data, to improving accessibility to the Nation's Capital, and promoting
the use of modern technology to streamline operations, your work has
been tireless and exemplary.
Your former colleagues are, therefore, extremely pleased to recognize
you with our annual award.
In addition, we believe you will find this book, ``The First
Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of
Extraordinary Men Invented the Government'' by historian Fergus
Bordewich, extremely interesting. The author was kind enough to include
a personal inscription for you.
Now we would welcome your remarks.
Mrs. BICE. Thank you very much.
First of all, thank you, Barbara, and to the former Members for
honoring me. It is truly an incredible honor for me to receive this.
I think it would be wise for me to share with all of you how I got
here because it is sort of a fun story.
When I came to Congress, it was 2021. COVID was rampant. Being a
freshman and going through orientation was challenging for a lot of
reasons. I had served in the State legislature prior, and I had done a
sort of mentor program. As I did orientation here in Washington, there
were some things that I thought should be different.
The Speaker talked about coming on the House floor with the
midshipmen last night. When I was a Member-elect, I walked onto this
floor after about 3 days of orientation, and I thought to myself: Why
did it take so long?
When you have that first moment on this House floor, there is no
greater moment. You have worked so hard to get here. You never forget
it.
I wanted that opportunity to be the first thing that happened on
orientation. When you got to D.C., it should be at night. It should be
quiet. You should get to come and sit in these chairs, where only a few
thousand people before us have sat, and take this moment in.
I decided to take it upon myself to make a suggestion to the Speaker,
the leader at the time, on what should be different, should we be in
the majority and be able to sort of decide how orientation goes.
Fast-forward a year, I landed in D.C. from the Marshall Scholars
trip. I got a call from the Speaker at the time, Kevin McCarthy, who
said: I have some great news for you. I am going to put you on the
House Administration Committee, and you are going to be the chairwoman
of the House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization.
I didn't call him ``Mr. Speaker'' for a reason that you will
understand in a second. I said: Kevin, you have waived me onto the
House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. I am now the
designee to Budget from Appropriations. I am an appropriator, and now
you have put me on House Administration.
His response was: It is going to be great.
Mr. UPTON. It is better than the House Committee on Ethics.
Mrs. BICE. It is true, Mr. Upton. It is better than the House
Committee on Ethics.
For those Members that have been around for a while, I tell you that
to say that I was in for a challenge. As the Members know, being on
four committees is not an easy task.
The coolest part of that experience, though, is I had just landed and
had just spent 4 days with Derek Kilmer, who I did not know until that
trip. I think it was serendipitous that I was given this opportunity.
It has been a great pleasure. It has taken a lot of work because I
was not on the select committee to be able to understand what had been
done the 4 years prior.
I feel honored and privileged to be in this role. I hope that I am
making the former Members proud, and I hope that I am making this
institution better for the long term.
I could not do this job, this role, without staff. I see Derek Harley
sitting over here, who, sadly, is leaving me soon. I couldn't do it
without an incredible staff on the Committee on House Administration
team, so thank you to Derek and Marian and all of those who have been a
part of this.
My personal office staff, Robert Sar, Wesley Harkins, my deputy
chief, Jett Thompson, these individuals have all been a tremendous part
of making sure that I am successful in this role. I couldn't do this
without them.
I want to say thank you. Thank you for this great opportunity and for
this honor to be recognized today.
Ms. EDWARDS. The Chair thanks and congratulates Chairwoman Bice.
The Chair now invites two former Members, Dennis Ross of Florida and
Cheri Bustos of Illinois, to offer remarks.
Mr. ROSS. I thank the Chair, and it is good to see the Chair in the
chair. It is a pleasure, my friend.
I also want to congratulate Representative Bice on her exceptional
leadership to the House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization.
It is my pleasure to report on FMC's Congressional Study Groups on
Germany, Japan, Europe, and Korea. In keeping with our mission to
support the Congress, FMC has established itself as a premier convener
of bipartisan, non-advocacy, and candid discussion on timely issues at
home and abroad.
By connecting Congress at the Member and staff levels with their
international counterparts, the diplomatic community, academia, and the
business community, we foster the mutual understanding,
personal relationships, and continued presence that is essential for
the productive functioning of this body for the American people.
All this important activity is accomplished through international
Member and staff delegations overseas and roundtable programs here in
Washington as well as in regional settings.
Together, the study groups are proud to count almost 200 current
Representatives and Senators as members. Each study group is led by a
bipartisan, bicameral group of four co-chairs. These dedicated co-
chairs embody the study groups' commitment to meaningful and dynamic
engagement and take the mission to heart by donating their valuable
time and energy to support FMC's programming.
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Beyond their contributions at official study group events, they
actively collaborate with embassies and external organizations,
participate in panels, attend roundtables, and meet with numerous
visiting delegations to advance the objectives of their respective
study groups and strengthen the international relationships they
foster.
This year, we welcome my friend, Representative Andy Barr of
Kentucky, who has become co-chair of the Congressional Study Group on
Japan, and look forward to continuing to work with his predecessor,
Larry Bucshon of Indiana, who will remain active in FMC as part of our
board of directors following his retirement from elected office.
The work of the study groups would not be possible without the
generous support of committed individuals, organizations, and Business
Advisory Council members. In particular, I would like to recognize Dr.
Satohiro Akimoto of Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA, Thomas Byrne of The
Korea Society, Sung Won Bae of the Korea Foundation USA, as well as the
German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Japan-U.S. Friendship
Commission.
I include in the Record a list of the FMC's Business Advisory Council
members.
FMC'S BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL
Aflac, All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd., Allianz, American
Honda Motor Co., Inc., B. Braun Medical, Inc., BASF, Bayer,
Beam Suntory, Central Japan Railway Co., CJ America, Mercedes
Benz, Deutsche Telekom Inc., DHL, Hanwha Qcells America,
Inc., Hitachi, Ltd., Hyundai Motor Group, ITOCHU
International, Inc., JTI USA Inc., KITA, LG.
Lockheed Martin International, Sojitz Corporation of
America, Tellurian, Toyota Motor North America, Inc., UPS,
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., Lufthansa German Airlines,
Marubeni America Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation
(Americas), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc., Mizuho
Bank, Ltd., NEC Corporation of America, Nissan North America,
Nomura, North American Subaru, Inc., Panasonic Corporation of
North America, POSCO America Corporation, Representative of
German Industry and Trade, Samsung Electronics America, Inc.,
Siemens Corporation.
FMC'S ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Anna Schneider of Volkswagen; Jeff Werner of Panasonic;
Nancy Ziuzin-Schlegel of LMCO; Brad Knox of Aflac; Danny
O'Brien of Hanwha QCells America.
FMC's DIPLOMATIC ADVISORY COUNCIL
H.E. Kevin Rudd, Ambassador of Australia to the U.S.; H.E.
Jean-Arthur Regibeau, Ambassador of Belgium to the U.S.; H.E.
Kirsten Hillman, Ambassador of Canada to the U.S.; H.E. Juan
Gabriel Valdes, Ambassador of Chile to the U.S.; H.E.
Catalina Crespo Sancho, Ambassador of Costa Rica to the U.S.;
H.E. Miloslav Stasek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the
U.S.; H.E. Jesper M