Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 116 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 165 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 No. 144 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was River. The levee breached during the ciate that. But how in the world can called to order by the Speaker pro tem- winter floods of 2015 and 2016. The aer- anybody look at this photo and say pore (Mrs. DINGELL). ial photo here shows just how dev- there is no navigational benefit to the f astating the breach was for farms and Len Small levee? communities. There is about 1,000 When the floodwaters crested earlier DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO acres, and that river is now trying to this summer, the Coast Guard issued a TEMPORE cut a new gorge to change the course of warning. Now, another Federal agent. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- the river. What does it say? U.S. Coast Guard fore the House the following commu- We immediately went to work in our Safety Advisory, June 27, 2019, unclas- nication from the Speaker: office to try to get Len Small repaired. sified: WASHINGTON, DC, However, the Army Corps of Engineers The U.S. Coast Guard has issued this safe- September 10, 2019. told us that the levee wouldn’t receive ty advisory due to an outdraft at the break I hereby appoint the Honorable DEBBIE Federal funding because it failed to in the Len Small levee. It is recommended DINGELL to act as Speaker pro tempore on meet the benefit-cost ratio based solely that the vessels stay approximately 800 feet this day. on its flood protection criteria. off the shore. Use extreme caution. Keep a NANCY PELOSI, But the Len Small levee provides sharp lookout, and report navigational haz- ards to the Coast Guard immediately. Speaker of the House of Representatives. much more than flood protection. It is f critical to navigation and commerce on That is right. The U.S. Coast Guard issued a safety warning to vessels in MORNING-HOUR DEBATE the Mississippi River. If it cuts through that gorge, it changes the course of the the river to avoid the Len Small levee. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- river and it becomes a rapids. They urged ships to use extreme cau- ant to the order of the House of Janu- So I introduced legislation directing tion and report any navigational haz- ary 3, 2019, the Chair will now recog- the Army Corps of Engineers to con- ard. nize Members from lists submitted by sider navigational benefits, along with Madam Speaker, there is a clear the majority and minority leaders for flood protection, when determining if a navigational benefit to fixing the Len morning-hour debate. levee was worth a repair. Small levee, and there are huge naviga- The Chair will alternate recognition The Corps then informed us that tional consequences to not taking ac- between the parties. All time shall be there was no navigational benefit to tion. Weeks, months, or years from equally allocated between the parties, the repair in Len Small. So over the now, we will be right back in this situ- and in no event shall debate continue months, the flood waters receded, leav- ation again when the flooded land and beyond 11:50 a.m. Each Member, other ing nothing but the sand and debris be- desperate people ask why their govern- than the majority and minority leaders hind. And that was until earlier this ment didn’t act sooner. and the minority whip, shall be limited year, when record rainfall into the Mis- I urge the Army Corps of Engineers to 5 minutes. sissippi flood plain and southern Illi- to reconsider how important this levee f nois once again brought the river up. is to flood protection and navigation. In August, I toured the where the We must get the Len Small levee fixed. THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE levee is, and this was left behind: six f BELTWAY AND THE AMERICAN barges, not counting the tolls that PEOPLE were sucked in. We managed to get all AND STILL I RISE The SPEAKER pro tempore. The of them out but two. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Now, this is three-quarters of a mile Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. BOST) for 5 minutes. inland on a person’s farm, but yet they Texas (Mr. GREEN) for 5 minutes. Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, we often are saying that it has no navigational Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speak- hear about the disconnect between the problems? er, and still I rise with love of country beltway and the American people. It is Look, I believe the Washington staff in my heart and, I must say, I rise usually not intentional. It is not based of the Army Corps has good intentions. today, unfortunately, some 146 days on malice, but it is real. The perfect They don’t want to hurt people. They since the Mueller report was released, example of this disconnect is found in want to make a bad situation better, some 48 days since Mr. Mueller testi- my district in southern Illinois. and they are trying to balance the fied, some 48 days for the President to Alexander County is home to the Len needs of the communities across this be above the law since the testimony of Small levee along the Mississippi country. It can’t be easy, and I appre- Mr. Mueller, 146 days above the law b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H7561 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:49 Sep 11, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A10SE7.000 H10SEPT1 H7562 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 10, 2019 since the report was presented to Con- COMMEMORATING SEPTEMBER 11 ing the tumor on scans. The cancer gress. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The grew at a deadly pace, untreated and And still I rise, with a very special Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from undiagnosed, until he went to a private message, however. I want people to North Carolina (Ms. FOXX) for 5 min- practice doctor in 2017. By then, it was know that there is more than hope. I utes. stage IV, and his prognosis was ter- rise today to say that there will be an Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Madam minal. impeachment. The President will be Speaker, no American will ever forget b 1015 impeached. what happened to us, to our Nation, 18 Despite this devastating develop- Some things bear repeating. years ago. We remember exactly where The President will be impeached. ment, Rich continued his service over- we were and what we were doing when seas and at home in good times and bad There will be a vote taken sometime we watched the tragedy of September this week, I am told, for the Judiciary until not long ago and just shy of his 11 unfold. 20-year milestone for full retirement. Committee to make some sort of offi- But we also recount how, in the cial announcement. He also fought this tragedy as a true midst of fear and uncertainty, so many soldier and tackled the very thing that I rise to say that the President will Americans acted as heroes and gave of has left him and his family most vul- be impeached, in spite of some and be- themselves for the sake of their coun- nerable: The Feres doctrine. cause of others. try and their city to help their fellow The Feres doctrine is an outdated ju- I rise today to say that he will be im- human beings. dicial ruling that bars active duty serv- peached because the hands of history The darkness of that day did not pre- icemembers from suing the govern- are piloting his ship of fate. And I be- vail. An attack meant to bring us to ment for medical malpractice. These lieve that history will not allow us, the our knees instead brought us together are not in combat situations. These are Members of this august body, to allow and prompted a generation of protec- cases that happen here at home at the President to be above the law. I be- tors—airmen, soldiers, sailors, Coast medical facilities on Army bases and lieve that if we fail to do so, it would Guard, and marines—to rise up in de- other services. There has never been a make Article II, Section 4 of the Con- fense of freedom and in pursuit of bill, there has never been a hearing, a stitution meaningless. It would have peace. vote in Congress, but that is the Feres no application to the term that we As we commemorate the tragedy of doctrine, and that has been what has quite often use, ‘‘no person is above the September 11, we pray for the families been the law of the land for 70 years. law.’’ We would then have to say: No of the fallen in New York, Washington, Servicemembers’ spouses and fami- person is above the law, saving at least and Pennsylvania; we give thanks for lies, civilian Federal employees, and one person. the bravery of first responders who ran even convicted prisoners have the right Article II, Section 4, if it is to have toward the burning buildings and away to sue for negligence, but not our serv- meaning, means that the President will from safety; we honor the men and icemembers.