Issues of the Day

Floor Speech

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Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from East Texas, Judge Gohmert, with whom I have had such a great association over these past several years and thank him for his leadership in this people's House.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of a Vietnam veteran and leader in our Arkansas community, R.D. Kinsey, a great personal friend of mine, taken too suddenly last week.

Following Kinsey's honorable discharge from the United States Air Force, he worked to serve his fellow Vietnam-era veterans by working alongside them and the VA to ensure that those heroes could obtain the benefits they had earned during their time in service.

Over time, R.D.'s mission expanded, and he worked with local veterans and their families to ensure that they had the healthcare and benefits that they had rightfully earned. R.D. dedicated his life to his fellow service heroes.

In 2004, R.D. worked to establish the Michael Vann Johnson, Jr., American Legion Post 74 of North Little Rock, Arkansas, where he held the commander position for 14 years. Under his leadership, Post 74 became known for their tremendous work in assisting veterans across the State. Let me say personally, no one was more shipshape than Post 74.

In 2018, R.D. became the first African-American State commander in the history of the Department of Arkansas when he assumed the leadership of the American Legion's command for that 1-year term.

While serving in this capacity, R.D. led nearly 15,000 Arkansas military veterans and their families in serving God and country.

Up until R.D.'s passing, he served the National Legislative Commission, presenting the National American Legion's agenda to the United States Congress on behalf of our Nation's beloved veterans.

R.D. dedicated his life to those veterans and to their families.

My sincerest condolences go out to his wife of 37 years, Dianna; his daughters, Meredith and Allison; and all who were honored to know him and call him a friend.

R.D. and his life of service had a profound impact on me, our veterans, our State, and I am honored to recognize him here today on the floor of the people's House. Congratulating Colonel Nate Todd

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Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Colonel Nate Todd, who currently serves as the Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, on his recent appointment to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees.

Todd's history of service began as a student at Pine Bluff High School, where Nate was a member of the Junior Air Force ROTC unit there.

He would go on to graduate from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial technology and a master's degree from Baylor University. Other achievements include a Chief Financial Officer Leadership Certification from the National Defense University and graduation from the Executive Medical Leadership Course at George Washington University.

Today, Todd is a 37-year veteran of the Army and Army Reserve where he has served as the director of Health Financial Policy with the U.S. Army Surgeon General and chief financial officer for Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

Those familiar with Colonel Todd's leadership know of his decades- long devotion to the service of Arkansas and our Nation. Most recently, he has served at the appointment of Governor Asa Hutchinson as our State's Veterans Affairs Department head since early 2017.

The students, faculty, and broader community of the University of Arkansas system will benefit from the knowledge, experience, and integrity that Colonel Todd brings in this new role.

Congratulations to Colonel Nate Todd. I congratulate him for his continued service to the people of Arkansas. The Continuing War in Ukraine

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Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, today is the 141st day since Putin commenced his illegal, brutal invasion of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin continues to direct his gang of thugs to target Ukrainian civilians.

We have seen this play from Czar Putin before, with the mass murder of 25,000 souls in Grozny and the leveling of biblical Aleppo.

To date, the United Nations High Commission has verified nearly 12,000 civilian casualties across Ukraine since February. This number is understated.

In the words of Nazar Havryliuk, a 17-year-old from Bucha: ``They were not able to defeat our Army, so they killed ordinary people.''

Both his uncle and father, innocent civilians, were murdered by Putin's invading Army.

Russian military strikes continue to target Ukrainian resources, including grain storehouses responsible for feeding over 400 million people worldwide. The World Food Programme estimates that 47 million people across the globe are suffering from acute hunger as a direct result of Putin's targeting of Ukrainian stores.

Since February, almost 2,300 schools, Madam Speaker, have been damaged or destroyed, and 290 healthcare facilities have been attacked. No place in Ukraine is safe for civilians.

Currently, 12.1 million people in Ukraine are estimated to need health assistance. That is 12 million individuals who are unable to get the help they need, the help they deserve, all due to Putin's invasion.

Madam Speaker, as my friend from Wisconsin just told this House, leadership from the United States is essential now more than ever. President Biden must step up and ensure that Ukraine has the lethal weapons and supplies to achieve a prompt and decisive victory over the invaders.

Only America's President can stand in the breach and lead. That leadership of our transatlantic partners and our critical allies, like Japan, are essential, essential in assisting the Europeans in crafting help for the people of Ukraine, including supporting humanitarian and critical and necessary and essential military support.

The United States can support Ukraine directly also by supporting the U.N. Secretary General's efforts to open the Black Sea. It is essential that safely exporting Ukrainian grain, currently trapped, is a must-do. The world is waiting for that grain. The world is starving without it. Helping alleviate that hunger crisis requires American leadership.

While Putin's puppets are in Istanbul sitting at a table talking about opening the Black Sea, his military is systematically bombing and burning all the fields of wheat across Ukraine.

America must also lead in planning for reconstruction in Ukraine once the invader has been ejected.

We must also hold Putin and his cronies accountable for the war crimes that they are committing daily in Ukraine. The targeting of schools, hospitals, places of worship, and civilians is unacceptable, illegal, and immoral. Russian leaders will be held accountable.

I was pleased to see the National Defense Authorization Act continued to set that out as a basic tenet of American foreign policy, that we will hold these war criminals accountable.

I will continue to voice my support for the brave people in Ukraine fighting against an illegal invasion to protect their homeland, their freedom, and their sovereignty.

I urge all my colleagues to join me in working to craft the right way to support those Ukrainians in the distribution of needed resources worldwide and holding the Russian leaders accountable for their crimes. This we must do, and this House must lead. Again, I must close, Madam Speaker, by saying it is American leadership that unites the world that can eject Putin from Ukraine.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas, and I am grateful for the time.

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