[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 18837-18838]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                THE HONORABLE CONGRESSMAN STEVE STOCKMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. KERRY L. BENTIVOLIO

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 11, 2014

  Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, now that the 113th Congress is coming to 
a close, I would like to recognize my good friend and colleague from 
Texas' 36th District, Steve Stockman.

[[Page 18838]]

  Steve and I actually grew up in the same town and went to the same 
schools. But, when he reached adulthood, his Texas family roots called 
him to the Lone Star state so it was only years later, in our nation's 
capitol, that we should meet as Members of Congress.
  Congressman Stockman was first elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives from Texas in 1994, defeating a 42-year incumbent in 
one of the biggest upsets in political history. He was re-elected to 
Congress on November 6, 2012, with the same vision he'd had in the 90's 
of limited government, strong support for American families, and a 
robust national defense.
  Steve has built very effective rapport with colleagues on both sides 
of the isle. His sense of humor and jovial approach to interpersonal 
relations endear him to us all, while we have come to recognize he has 
broad, but exceptionally deep understanding of many topics. He always 
has substantive inputs and bills, not only on specific Constitutional 
guarantees, but on national defense, freedoms and lack thereof in 
nations around the world.
  You often find individuals with social interaction skills, and others 
with tremendous knowledge and insights. It is rare to find both 
qualities in a single individual. But, Steve possesses both.
  However, one would never know this about Steve if they only read the 
press. That's because Steve always stands up and speaks the truth, 
regardless of whether it's politically expedient. Consequently, he's 
vilified in the press; but Americans who are tired of business-as-usual 
here in our nation's Capitol applaud him and greatly appreciate 
Congressman Stockman.
  Congressman Stockman has been a fierce defender of Constitutional 
liberties, and a leader in defending the Second Amendment. He 
introduced the very first pro-gun bill in the House in 2013, H.R. 35, 
to repeal federal gun free zones.
  When the President threatened to bypass Congress and enact gun 
control through Executive Orders, Congressman Stockman, along with Sen. 
Rand Paul of Kentucky in the Senate, introduced the ``Restore the 
Constitution Act of 2013,'' which would nullify any anti-gun orders.
  The gentleman from Texas blue slipped both the Senate's gun control 
bill and their immigration bill.
  Congressman Stockman serves as Vice Chairman of the House Second 
Amendment Task Force, and also authored legislation to strip funding to 
the UN should that body attempt to restrict Americans' gun rights.
  As a 100% pro-life supporter, Steve authored the 2013 Sanctity of 
Life Act, which declares that life begins at conception, and which also 
limits the federal courts' jurisdiction in cases dealing with the 
unborn.
  Congressman Stockman was the first congressman to step up and 
introduce a bill to defend the rights of native Americans in southeast 
Texas. The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas won a Federal claim against 
the U.S. Government for millions, if not billions, of dollars. 
Stockman's bill, if passed, would resolve that claim without any 
impingement on the Federal deficit.
  Congressman Stockman's district is home to NASA's Johnson Space 
Center, the research and training facility for all human space 
exploration and the location of the famous Mission Control Center.
  As a member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, 
Congressman Stockman highlights the importance of a vigorous space 
exploration program and for keeping the U.S. at the forefront of space 
technology. He fought to save the arc jet facility at the Johnson Space 
Center, and advocated for defining a serious timetable and sufficient 
funding to actually land on and create research bases on the moon and 
Mars. Further, he understands the strategic necessity to remain the 
undisputed leader in space, and to not let non-democratic nations like 
China and Russia dominate the high frontier of space and high 
technology.
  The gentleman from Texas' district has the highest number per capita 
of oil and gas refineries and downstream petrochemical plants in the 
world. Steve has worked tirelessly for commonsense regulatory relief 
for the nation's oil and gas industries, which will lead to less U.S. 
dependence on foreign oil and more American jobs.
  His tireless efforts were instrumental in expediting the building 
permits for state-of-the art new petrochemical plants to be built in 
his district that will bring in billions of dollars in new investment. 
The gentleman from Texas has used his position on the House Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology to question the EPA's technological 
criteria for evaluating applications on hydraulic fracking. Also, 
legislation he's promoted will facilitate improvements in current 
technologies used in shale oil and gas production.
  Congressman Stockman has spoken out about the need to dredge 
southeast Texas ports from which many of the Gulf Coast petrochemicals 
are shipped. With hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake, these Ports 
are and will be fueling the Texas economic miracle.
  At 3.5 cents per kilowatt hour, Texas has one of the cheapest power 
costs in the world and Stockman, with fellow members of the Science, 
Space, and Technology Committee, has pressed EPA to release its 
stranglehold on latest technologies that will keep power costs low in 
Texas. http://science.house.gov/sites/renublicans.science.house.gov/
files/documents/Letters/121 913_mccarthy.ndf
  The National Taxpayer's Union honored Congressman Stockman with the 
Taxpayers' Friend Award and NFIB named him ``Guardian of Small 
Business'' in recognition of his outstanding votes for legislation 
fostering healthy job-creating businesses. Earning a consistent ``100 
percent'' rating by the American Conservative Union, my colleague from 
Texas has been honored with the ``Taxpayers Best Friend Award'' from 
Citizens for Tax Reform, and ``Taxpayer's Hero Award'' by Citizens 
Against Government Waste.
  Always on the cutting edge of up and coming technologies and economic 
trends, Congressman Stockman recently introduced a bill in Congress 
that would not only extend substantial protections to cryptocurrencies, 
but would also require that cryptocurrencies be classified as a 
``currency.'' The bill, entitled the Cryptocurrency Protocol Protection 
and Moratorium Act (CryptPMA), begins by placing a five-year moratorium 
on any state legislation concerning, or taxation on, cryptocurrencies.
  Stockman believes in the future. He has predicted that three 
technologies will change the world. He forecasts that nanotubes, 3-D 
printers, and cryptocurrencies will revolutionize and change the world 
in fundamental ways. Furthermore, Congressman Stockman has called for a 
study of magnetic poll shifting, resultant fluctuation of magnetic 
fields, and their impact on the earth's climate.
  With his broad knowledge of geopolitical and socioeconomic affairs, 
it is appropriate that Congressman Stockman sits on the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee, where--among other important actions--he's for 
greater openness about what really happened in the 2012 assault on the 
U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. He has also been a strong voice in the 
House in support of the Ukrainians' passion for strengthening liberties 
in their country.
  Congressman Stockman co-founded the House South Sudan Caucus, in 
support of the world's newest nation. South Sudan, which is a majority 
Christian nation, suffered decades of oppression and genocide from 
North Sudan, and still endures attacks, despite the existence of a 
peace agreement. Congressman Stockman grieves the fact that now a 
simmering civil war is ongoing in the new nation. He has traveled to 
Juba, the South Sudan's capital, and led a Congressional delegation to 
Nigeria to investigate how the U.S. might better help that country end 
the brutal atrocities of Boko Harm. Steve has also visited other parts 
of Africa, in support of medical missionary work.
  As the 113th Congress comes to a close, the Conservative movement 
will lose a great friend to liberty and individual rights in 
Congressman Stockman. I and many of our friends will miss working 
alongside my good friend and colleague who has been a staunch ally and 
supporter for life, liberty and country.

                          ____________________