E1236 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks October 1, 2019 board member for the National Council on PERSONAL EXPLANATION sional firefighters to supplement their volun- Crime and Delinquency and is a member of teers during the daytime hours. the State of California AARP Livable Commu- HON. CLAY HIGGINS Meeting the expectations of a rapidly grow- nities Committee. OF LOUISIANA ing population is a challenge they meet every day. Six of Spring’s nine fire stations were Chief Swanger and his wife, Lora, have IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES built this decade. Station 74 is the last of the three children: Matt, Cameron, and Hayley. I Tuesday, October 1, 2019 am grateful for Chief Guy Swanger’s dedi- new stations to open for service. Every day, the men and women of the cated service, and wish him great luck and joy Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Madam Speak- Spring Fire Department provide fire suppres- in his retirement. er, I was on official business in my district (LA–03). Had I been present, I would have sion, emergency medical response, and more to over 152,000 people in 62 square miles of f voted yea on Roll Call No. 541; nay on Roll Call No. 542; nay on Roll Call No. 543; yea on northern Harris County. INTRODUCTION OF PROTECTING Roll Call No. 544; yea on Roll Call No. 545; From a fire department where volunteers FEDERAL AGENCIES AND EM- nay on Roll Call No. 546; nay on Roll Call No. heard the siren and rushed to a station to pick PLOYEES FROM POLITICAL IN- 547; yea on Roll Call No. 548; nay on Roll up a , Spring has evolved into a TERFERENCE ACT Call No. 549; nay on Roll Call No. 550; yea on combination department that staffs all its nine Roll Call No. 551; nay on Roll Call No. 552; stations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. nay on Roll Call No. 553; yea on Roll Call No. Today, the department has a mix of full-time, HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON 554; and nay on Roll Call No. 555. part-time and volunteer firefighters to answer f the calls. With a fleet of over two dozen OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA pieces of fire and rescue apparatus, along PERSONAL EXPLANATION IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES with more than a dozen support vehicles, Spring firefighters respond to fires, medical Tuesday, October 1, 2019 HON. DAVID P. JOYCE emergencies, vehicle accidents, and highwater OF OHIO rescues. Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Built to withstand strong hurricane-force rise to introduce the Protecting Federal Agen- winds, the new Station 74 is already home to Tuesday, October 1, 2019 cies and Employees from Political Interference an engine and a tanker. Designed with the fu- Act, which would require an act of Congress Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Madam Speaker, on ture in mind, Station 74 will be able to house before any federal agency headquarters may Roll Call vote 548, I was in the Chamber but more fire equipment, an additional crew, and be moved out of the National Capital Region was unable to execute my vote. I would have a District Chief in the years to come. (NCR). My bill would require that the head- voted ‘‘yea’’ on Roll Call No. 548. The new Spring 74 is a testa- quarters of any agency located in the NCR on f ment to the commitment of the department, the date of the introduction of this bill remain their command staff, and the board of Harris in the NCR absent subsequent legislation. PERSONAL EXPLANATION County Emergency Services District Number 7 This bill is cosponsored by Representatives to serve Spring today and in the future. ANTHONY BROWN and JAMIE RASKIN. HON. BRENDA L. LAWRENCE It is my honor to be part of the Spring Fire The Trump administration has already OF MICHIGAN Station 74 Grand Opening Celebration on Oc- begun moving agencies out of the NCR to the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tober 5. May God bless these crews putting detriment of federal employees, their families Tuesday, October 1, 2019 their lives on the line for this community every and the work of these agencies. Employees day, and may God continue to bless Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, unfortu- who work in agency headquarters fulfill the in- and the United States of America. nately, on September 27, 2019, I was not able dispensable role of keeping Congress and the f to cast my votes during the vote series due to president informed of agency activities. Con- personal matters in Michigan. Had I been in PERSONAL EXPLANATION gress cannot do its work to write laws and en- attendance, I would have voted: ‘‘aye’’ on Roll gage in vital oversight without the unvarnished Call No. 555: H. Res. 603—Raising a question HON. VERONICA ESCOBAR facts that nonpartisan agencies provide. In of the privileges of the House; ‘‘yea’’ on Roll fact, we have already seen the negative im- OF TEXAS Call No. 554: H.R. 3722—the Joint Task Force IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES pacts of these relocation efforts. The Bureau to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act; and ‘‘yea’’ of Land Management (BLM) has announced on Roll Call No. 553: S.J. Res. 54—A joint Tuesday, October 1, 2019 that it will be moving its headquarters staff to resolution relating to a national emergency de- Ms. ESCOBAR. Madam Speaker, my votes Grand Junction, Colorado, where agency staff clared by the President on February 15, 2019. were not recorded on September 27, 2019. I will share office space with a Chevron cor- f am not recorded because I had to attend to a porate office, a state oil and gas association family matter. Had I been present, I would and an independent natural gas exploration HONORING THE BRAVE MEN AND have voted ‘‘yea’’ on Roll Call No. 553, ‘‘yea’’ company. WOMEN OF THE SPRING FIRE on Roll Call No. 554, and ‘‘yea’’ on Roll Call As for the Department of Agriculture’s relo- DEPARTMENT No. 555. cation efforts, two-thirds of impacted highly f specialized employees will not relocate to HON. DAN CRENSHAW CONGRATULATING PASTOR JIM Kansas City, retiring early or quitting instead. OF TEXAS GRAFF AND TAMARA GRAFF ON Preliminary reports suggest similarly low reten- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FAITH FAMILY CHURCH’S 30TH tion rates for BLM staffers asked to relocate Tuesday, October 1, 2019 west. While agency leadership touts these ANNIVERSARY moves as cost effective, the work of the agen- Mr. CRENSHAW. Madam Speaker, I rise cy suffers when experienced personnel leave today to honor the brave men and women of HON. MICHAEL CLOUD and relocation efforts appear to favor special the Spring Fire Department, a public safety OF TEXAS interests. agency that has come a long way in its 66- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES year history, but never so much as in the past Unless measures like the Protecting Federal decade. Tuesday, October 1, 2019 Agencies and Employees from Political Inter- For the first few decades, local residents Mr. CLOUD. Madam Speaker, I rise today ference Act are taken to stop agencies from and businesses passed the hat, and volun- to recognize Pastor Jim and Tamara Graff for relocating, the federal government will lose teers manned the donated and frequently pre- their over 30 years of serving Faith Family more employees and agencies will be unable owned, equipment. Church. to perform critical tasks, like assisting Con- As Spring has evolved from a rural railroad Faith Family Church began with humble ori- gress in vital oversight. stop into a suburb, the fire depart- gins as a home Bible Study. In 1989—after I strongly urge my colleagues to support this ment has grown alongside the community. In favor and growth from the Lord—Faith Family bill. 1997, Spring Fire began employing profes- Church called Pastor Jim and Tamara Graff to

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