morning and coulter who was on the campaign trail with trump tweeted out -- >> we are going to breakaway and take you live to the floor of the house. y motions to spthe rules on which a re cord vote or the yeas and nays are ordered or votes objected to under clause 6 of rule 20. the house will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. jean forte: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1858, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 4514 williamson trail in liberty, pennsylvania, as the staff sergeant ryan scott ostrom post ffice. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1858, a bill to

designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 4514 williamson trail in liberty, pennsylvania, as the staff sergeant ryan cott ostrom post office. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from montana, mr. gianforte, and the gentleman from california, mr. gomez, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gianforte: i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 1858, introduced by congressman tom marino of pennsylvania. post ll names the liberty

office the staff sergeant ryan scott ostrom post office in honor of staff sergeant ostrom who was killed in the line of action in iraq. i now yield to the gentleman from pennsylvania, the sponsor of the bill, such time as he may consume to explain the bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. marino: thank you, sir. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of my legislation to rename the liberty, pennsylvania, post office, after staff sergeant ryan scott ostrom. he was born in 1979 in pennsylvania where he attended liberty high school. while in high school, ryan excelled in soccer, basketball, baseball, serving as captain for the soccer and basketball teams. after graduating from high school he attended mansfield university and pursued a degree in education science. ryan planned to become a teacher and a coach to help young people become successful.

students, athletes and leaders within the community. however, just months before ryan was set to graduate from college, his national depard unit was deployed to iraq. while serving his country in iraq, ryan made the ultimate sacrifice as he was killed in action on august 9, 2005. ryan enlisted in the pennsylvania army national guard in 1997, serving with company b, first battalion, 109th in willamsport, pennsylvania. ryan was an accomplished soldier with a bevy of previous accomplishments and commendations. during his time enlisted, ryan earned a purple heart, combat information badge, gold star, armed services ribbon and numerous other awards that gave ryan the recognition he deserved for his historic years and his heroic years of service. beyond these awards, ryan also took advantage of what the

military had to offer. graduating from the u.s. army europe primary leadership development course, which furthered his ability to lead both on development and in the communities about which he cared so deeply. while ryan was always be remembered for his valor and his years of military service, he will also be remembered for what he brought to the communities of which he was a part. in his free time, ryan could be found playing monday night basketball with his friends at home and was an active member of the eagle base basketball team during his deployment. staff sergeant ryan ostrom prioritized the world around him, his country, his community, his family all over himself. his years of service and his records speak for themselves, but beyond that, ryan made a positive impact as a friend and a role model wherever he was. he was a soldier and a leader

on his deployments and an active member of the community back home in wellsboro. i ask all members support this legislation by honoring ryan by renaming the post office as the staff sergeant ryan scott ostrom post office. i thank you and yield back my remaining time. mr. gianforte: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. gomez. mr. gomez: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i'm pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of h.r. 1858, a bill to designate the facility of the united states post office located at 4514 williamson trail in liberty, pennsylvania, as the staff sergeant ryan scott ostrom post office. born in wellsboro, pennsylvania, in 1979, mr. ostrom graduated from high school and then joined the pennsylvania army national guard while beginning his studies at mansfield

university. a sports lover, ryan can frequently be found playing and coaching basketball in his free time. in 2002, ryan joined his father, scott othrom, on a peacekeeping mission in bosnia and he later deployed to iraq with the 109th infantry regiment. staff sergeant ryan ostrom tragically made the ultimate sacrifice in august of 2005 when he sustained fatal wounds from enemy small arms fire in iraq. he was as mentioned awarded the bronze star, the purple heart, good conduct medal and combat infantry badge from the department of the army as well as the pennsylvania meritorious medal service from the commonwealth of pennsylvania. mr. speaker, we should pass this bill to recognize the bravery and selflessness of the honorable service of staff sergeant ryan scott ostrom. urge the passage of 1858, and i reserve the balance of my time. mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i'd

like to make the gentleman from california aware that i have no further speakers and i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. gomez: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers and yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i urge adoption of the bill in recognition of staff sergeant ostrom's sacrifice to our nation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1858. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i demand a count of the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the

yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 452, to designate the facility of the united states post office located at 324 west saint louis street in pacific, missouri, as the specialist jeffrey l. white jr. post office. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 452, a bill to designate the facility of the

united states post office located at 324 west saint louis street in pacific, missouri, as the specialist jeffrey l. white jr. post office. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from montana, mr. gianforte, and the gentleman from california, mr. gomez, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and tend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gianforte: i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 452, introduced by congressman blaine luetkemeyer of missouri. the bill names pacific, missouri, post office at 324 west saint louis street the specialist jeffrey l. white jr. post office in honor of u.s. army specialist white who in

2012 was killed in action in an i.e.d. attack in afghanistan. i now yield to the gentleman from missouri, the sponsor of the bill, such time as he may consume to explain the bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. luetkemeyer: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, mr. gianforte, for helping us out this afternoon. i rise in support of h.r. 452, legislation to designate the united states postal service facility located at 324 west saint louis street in pacific, missouri, as the specialist jeffrey l. white jr. post office. u.s. army specialist white grew up in missouri with his parents jeff and paula white and his brothers michael and kyle. he graduated from pacific high school in 2008 and enlisted in the army in october, 2009. specialist white served in our country honorably as a member of the first battalion, 501st airborne, fourth brigade combat team, 25th infantry division, joint base elmendorf, alaska,

unit. he deployed to afghanistan in december, 2011. after serving our country bravely, he gave his life for our country when an i.e.d. detonated near his unit on april 3, 2012. roughly one week before he was scheduled to return to the united states. specialist white was a highly decorated service member. his awards and medals include the bronze star medal, purple heart, army good conduct medal, national defense service medal, afghanistan campaign medal with bronze service star, global war on terrorism service medal, army service ribbon, overseas service ribbon and the nato medal, among many others. as an avid sports fan, he shared my love with the st. louis cardinals. he witnessed their world series championship when shortly before his deployment and was planning to attend opening day in 2012. specialist white was honored by the cardinals who invite his family to raise the 2011 world

championship flag on opening day in his memory. specialist white was upstanding person. hundreds of individuals lined the streets in the pouring rain to honor his final journey home and memorial service. we can never fully express our thanks to our military families -- to our military and their families, their service and sacrifice for this country goes beyond the level of bravery most have never seen. while the naming of this post office is not nearly enough to honor jeffrey white nor will it heal the pain felt each day and every day by the family he left behind, it is my sincere hope each time the whites and folks in the pacific community pass by this building they're reminding how grateful and proud we are to call specialist white one of our own. mr. speaker, i thank the missouri delegation and pacific community for their support of this designation and ask every member of the house to join us in honoring our hometown hero jeffrey l. white jr. with that i yield back. mr. gianforte: and i reserve

the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. gomez. mr. gomez: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. i'm pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of h.r. 452, a bill to designate the facility of the united states post office located at 324 west saint louis street in pacific, missouri, as the specialist jeffrey l. white jr. post office. a native of missouri, jeffrey white jr. graduated from pacific high school in 2008 and joined the united states army. after graduating from basic and advanced training at fort bening, georgia, specialist white was assigned to the 25th infantry division, joint base elmendorf richardson. he deployed to afghanistan in 2011 and tragically lost his life in april of 2012 after insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. specialist white was just 21

years old. specialist white is remembered for his love of the st. louis cardinals as well as his distinguished service for which he reserved -- received many awards, including the bronze star and a purple heart. as an avid dodger fan, i think specialist white would get a kick that i am here and that the st. louis cardinals are still beating the dodgers. mr. speaker, we should pass this bill to commemorate the life of specialist jeffrey white jr. who selflessly sacrificed his life in defense of his country, and i urge the passage of h.r. 452 and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. >> i'd like to make the gentleman from california aware that i have no further speakers and i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. >> i yield back the balance of

my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from montana. mr. gee an forte: i -- mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i urge adoption of this bill and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 452? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 eing in the affirmative -- >> mr. speaker, on that i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in fare of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed.

for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. gianforte: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2254 to designate the facility of the united states post office cated at 2635 napa street in vallejo, california, as the janet capello post office building. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will designate the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2254, to designate the facile of they have united states postal service located at 2635 napa street in vallejo, california thearks janet capello post office building. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana from the na, mr. gianforte, and member from california each will control five minutes. mr. gianfolte: i ask unanimous consent is that all members have

five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise today in support of h.r. 2254, introduced by congressman mike thompson of california. the bill designates the post office located at 2635 napa street in vallejo, california, as the janet capello post office building. janet capello was a prominent citizen in her community. she served on the city's planning commission, civil service commission, and charter review committee among others. she loved her community and she gai back in whatever way she could before passing away in 2012. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. i'm pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of

h.r. 2254 a bill to designate the facility of the united states post office located at 2635 napa street in vallejh, california, as the janet capello post office building. mr. gomez: h.r. 2254 was introduced this year by my colleague and friend from california, mr. thompson. unfortunately, he's unable to be here today as he has remained in his district in california this toveping assist in wildfire relief and recovery efforts. i, along with the entire house of representatives, am praying for mr. compson and our fellow americans in this time of need. a life listening resident of vallejo, california, and a aughter of italian immigrants, janet capello loved her italian heritage. she was dedicated to sons of italy. she held two of the

organization's most prestigious post, vice president of the grand lodge of california and secretary of the united lodges and led efforts to bring the group's scholarship program to vallejo. in doing so she helped hundreds of young men and women attend college. she oversaw a number of charity efforts and helped raise thousands of dollars each year for alzheimer's research in conjunction with university of california-davis. her dedication to these causes earned her the dr. vincenzo solo award, the highest honor granted by the sons of italy. in addition to these accomplishments she was an active participant in local politics, serving on the city's planning commission, civil service commission, and charter review committee, and others and was an active member of the st. vincent catholic church until her passing in 2012 at the age of 77.

mr. speaker, we should pass this ill to commemorate the life of janette capello and recognize made to ibution she is the community. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i would like the gentleman from california to be aware i have no further speakers and i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. gomez: i have no further speakers, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i urge adoption of the bill and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2254? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 the in the affirmative -- rules are suspended, the bill is

passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid n the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. gianforte: i move to suspend the rules and pass hmpt r. 2264 -- 2464 to designate the fa stillity of the united states at 25 new chardon street lobby in boston, massachusetts as the john fitzgerald kennedy post office. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2464, to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 25 new chardon street

lobby in boston, massachusetts, as the john fitzgerald kennedy post office. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana and the gentleman from california will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. pll gianforte: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. . gianforte: i rise today in support of h.r. 2464, introduced by congressman stephen lynch of massachusetts. the bill designates the post office located at 25 new chardon street lobby in boston, massachusetts, as the john fitzgerald kennedy post office. john f. kennedy was the 35th president of the united states. his his tenure, he -- possibly -- he's possibly most famous for his handling of the cuban missile crisis, preventing

. thermonuclear crisis this year marks the 100th anniversary of his birth. i urge my colleagues to support this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. gomez. mr. gomez: i yield to the gentleman from massachusetts such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: i thank the gentleman for yielding me time. to e in support of this designate the post office facility in boston, massachusetts, as the john fitzgerald kennedy post office. this reflects the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of president john f. kennedy this year, otherwise

known as the j.f.k. centennial. i'd like to thank our former chairman, the gentleman from utah, jason chaffetz, as well as our current chairman, the gentleman from south carolina, trey gu di, ranking member, the gentleman -- trey gowdy, ranking member, elijah cummings, as well as chairman of our subcommittee, the gentleman from north carolina, mark meadows and ranking member, the gentleman from virginia, jerry donnelly. -- gerry connolly. for their efforts to move this forward. i would like to thank the entire massachusetts house delegation for their efforts in sponsoring this measure. this honors the life and legacy of our 35th president, john f. kennedy, and his impassioned commitment to public service, peace, equality and diplomacy and ensuring a better quality of life for every american. our remembrance of him affords

us the opportunity to reflect on his vision and mission in the face of the many challenges we face as a nation today both as home and abroad. as we grapple with difficult issues from health care to economic reform, let's -- let us recall his understanding that, quote, one true measure of a nation is its success in fulfilling the promise of a better life for each of its members. in contemplating issues in equality and civil rights we would be rides to -- wise to remember his advancement of the principle that the rights of every person are diminished when the rights of one person are threatened. as we continue to address matters of contention with adversarial nationsing, we must bear in mind president kennedy's admonition and foresight that, quote, civility is not a sign of weakness and sincerity is always structure to -- is always subject to proof. in closing, mr. speaker, i would like to also thank my colleague

and friend, congressman joseph kennedy, from the fourth district of massachusetts, for his work on this legislation as well. thank you, mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support h.r. 2464 and yield back the balance of my ime. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i would like to make the gentleman from california aware that i have no further speakers and i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. go mess: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i urge adoption of this bill in recognition of president kennedy's sacrifice for our nation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2464.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- >> on that, i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. gianforte: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 294, to designate the facility of the united states post office located at 2700 cullen boulevard pearland, texas, as the endy

nddiobong ekpanya post office building. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will designate the bill. the clerk: h.r. 294, to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 2700 cullen boulevard in pearland, texas, as the endy nddiobong ekpanya post office building. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana, mr. gianforte and the gentleman from california, will each control 30 minutes. mr. gianforte: i ask that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gianforte: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of h.r. 294, introduced by congressman pete olson of texas. it names pear larned, texas, post office at 2700 cullen boulevard as the endy nddiobong kpanya post office building.

in honor of pearland police officer endy nddiobong ekpanya who fell in the line of duty in 2015. i now yield to the gentleman from texas, the sponsor of the bill, such time as he may consume to explain the bill. the speaker pro tempore: the entleman from texas. mr. olson: first, i want to thank my friend from montana for bringing this bill forward this afternoon. mr. speaker, this is a great day back home in pearlland, texas, because right now -- pearland, texas, because right now this house is about to nor a fallen hero from pearland, endy ekpanya. he was born the same year i graduated from college. he left nigeria to come to america and provide a better

life and they moved to long island. he was there in 1996. he obtained a degree in psychology and sociology from hofstra university and later earned his m.b.a. and masters degree in criminal justice from the university of maryland. the call to serve his country and his community never left endy which is why after moving to pearland, texas, he enrolled in the alvin community police academy. he graduated with the 105th class in december of 2015. e was sworn in as a pearland police officer later -- six months later. less than six months after december, 2015, he graduated,

his time with us was cut short ust two days before his 31st birthday. at approximately 4:00 a.m., on the morning of june 12, 2016, endy was hit head-on by a drunk driver while responding to an emergency call. he was the first officer to die pearland on duty in over 40 years. endy's life embodies the selfless dedication of our law enforcement officials back in pearland. his sacrifice will never ever be forgotten, and that's why i'm proud that today this house will pass the bill to name the post office at 2700 cullen boulevard after endy. it will be a source of great

pride for our local community and will ensure that a sacrifice is remembered for generations to come. this small gesture can make up .or the loss of endy's life son, ife, his wife, his his family will never go away. the community of pearland has suffer but this small gesture is a testament to endy's commitment to protect and serve. it will be an inspiration for future generations to strive to improve their community just like endy did in the short time with us. i urge a yes vote on this bill and yield back. thank you, my friend. mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. gomez. mr. gomez: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may

consume. i'm pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of h.r. 294, a bill to designate the facility of the united states post office located at 2700 cullen boulevard in pearland, texas, as the endy ekpanya post office. endy ekpanya reflected the best of america. born in nigeria in 1985, endy immigrated to the united states in 1996. here he obtained u.s. citizenship, a college education and two masters degrees. endy's deep love of family and community inspired him to join the police force so he could help those in need. he helped -- he hoped his hard work in the classroom and the field would help him be a role model for his young son, julian. as a rookie member of the pearland police department, officer ekpanya took the duty to protect his community brightened t also

his fellow officers' day. he was killed when a drunk driver struck his police cruiser as he was responding to a call. mr. speaker, we should pass this bill to honor officer endy ekpanya's dedication to his education, family and community and to remember the sacrifices he made while working to protect those he loved. i urge the passage of h.r. 294, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i'd like to make the gentleman from california aware i have no further speakers and i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. gomez: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i urge adoption of the bill in recognition of officer ekpanya's sacrifice to our nation, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 294. hose in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman

from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass senate bill 1617. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. n act rk: senate 1617, a to designate the checkpoint of the united states border patrol located on united states highway 77 north in sarita, texas, as the javier vega jr. order patrol checkpoint. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. barletta, and the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. barletta: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and tend their remarks and include extraneous material on senate bill 1617. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. barletta: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. barletta: the javier vega jr. memorial act would designate the border patrol

checkpoint on united states highway 77 north in sarita, texas, as the javier vega jr. border patrol checkpoint. after serving his country honorably as a united states marine, agent vega joined the united states border patrol in 2008. during his time in the united states border patrol, he served as a k-9 handler and was involved in 42 seizures of narcotics and 38 separate cases involving the apprehension of 238 illegal immigrants. he was a man of honor and duty, a man who loved his family and a man who would give his life in service to his country. on august 3, 2014, in raymondville, texas, agent vega took his wife, three children and parents out for a day of fishing. while fishing with his family,

two illegal immigrants attempted to rob them. these illegal immigrants had been deported multiple times for various crimes. law enforcement believe they have conducted a string of similar robberies at the behest of a mexican cartel. agent vega sprung to action to defend his family. while drawing his firearm, agent vega was shot in the chest. his father was also shot and wounded. though his family did everything possible to help, agent vega tragically passed away. on september 20, 2016, border patrol determined that agent vega's actions were instinctive as a result of his law enforcement training. he did what law enforcement in america does, he put himself in harm's way. as a result, his death was determined to have been in the

line of duty. this bill honors the service of agent vega. he made the ultimate sacrifice for his family and his country. today, the house will name the border patrol checkpoint where he and his service dog goldie served after him. every day the men and women of the united states border patrol put on their uniforms and put their lives on the line to protect america's borders. and tragically as we see in the case of agent vega, even when spending time with family they may be called to serve. on sunday, president trump unveiled immigration and enforcement policies that will ensure other families do not have to face the devastating loss of a loved one at the hands of an illegal immigrant. i hope congress can work together to make those proposals a reality. i believe it is more than fitting to name this checkpoint after agent javier vega jr.

i urge my colleagues to support this bill, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i appreciate the remarks of my good friend from pennsylvania, and i, too, rise in support of s. 1617, a bill to designate the checkpoint of the united states border patrol located on united states highway 77 north n sarita, texas, as the javier vega jr. border patrol checkpoint. javier vega jr. was killed in he line of duty on august 3, 2014, while trying to stop a criminal act and to protect his family in raymondville, texas.

while fishing with his wife, with his children and with his parents, two men approached him and tried to rob his family. agent vega attempted to stop he robbery by drawing his gun, and we know border patrol agents may carry their guns because they are law enforcement officials when they are off duty. he was shot in the chest. agent vega was rushed to the hospital after he was shot but died soon thereafter. it was determined that agent vega was aware of a pattern of robberies in the area due to his role as border patrol agent and that he identified himself as an agent before he was fatally shot. the u.s. border patrol considered those facts and later determined that javier

vega jr. was murdered in the line of duty, ensuring that agent vega's name was enshrined at the customs and border protect valor memorial. ent vega was a u.s. marine veteran and had served with the united states border patrol for six years before his untimely death. he served his country with honor and distinction. i strongly support this legislation, honoring the life nd death of javier vega jr. by naming this checkpoint after him. i urge my colleagues to pass s. 1617, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. barletta: mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i am prepared to yield the remainder

of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. barletta: mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate bill 1617. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately

>> until the house returns we'll hear from the heritage foundation's bruce clinger. he'll talk about north korea's outreach to him and other republican leaning