Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment to define the phrase ``short term'' for the purposes of the Schools Not Shelters Act as being a period of up to 72 hours.

The phrase ``short term'' has varying definitions for different purposes in law and in different States. In many cases, the law considers housing for as long as a year as short term.

The underlying bill prohibits housing illegal aliens in taxpayer- funded schools with an understandable exception for emergencies. If people are seeking shelter from a storm, we don't want to lock them out to face the elements, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status.

My amendment protects the intent of this bill by ensuring that Governors can't abuse this emergency exception by opportunistically using an emergency or declaring an emergency that doesn't really exist so that they can house illegals in schools for months on end.

My amendment still allows State and local authorities the flexibility to offer schools as shelter in moments of true crisis, but requires that they limit that to a few days to make sure it is a momentary stop- gap solution rather than a long-term reality.

Under the so-called leadership of President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary Mayorkas, our southern border is open. Every State has become a border State as criminal cartels traffic aliens into our country by the thousands.

Some sanctuary States have chosen to address this problem by housing these illegal aliens in our schools. Using our schools, our public schools, to house illegal aliens redirects resources the American people set aside for our children to foreign nationals who disrespect our laws.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, let's be clear: Schools are meant for the purpose of educating our children. Housing those in violation of law, illegals, can put our children at risk and turns places of education potentially into dormitories for lawless individuals. We have Governors who have used and abused their authorities to circumvent Federal law, immigration law, all we are asking is that if it is going to be done, it is for a defined period of time.

I have to admit as I have listened to debate, the violins were playing, widows were weeping, and my colleagues were pandering. We have people that are here violating the law. Keep that in mind. Our border is flooded with illegals. There is a pattern of illegals committing crime in our country. There is a pattern of gang members crossing our border, and there is a pattern of this reckless administration for ignoring the law.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption and support for my amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to urge the adoption of my amendment to ensure that President Biden's lend-lease authority regarding Ukraine is subject to the same requirements under the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act as loans to every other country.

These requirements would not block or do not block any of the current support that our government is providing to Ukraine but would mitigate the risk that the Biden administration or, for that matter, any administration abuses its lend-lease authorities in the future.

The requirements include that the loan is made for a fixed period of time, up to 5 years, and the borrower agrees to repay us all the costs we incur by lending our equipment, such as money to repair or to replace damaged equipment.

Loans have agreements for repayment. Without the requirement that loans have a defined term and a repayment agreement, without those terms it is not a loan. It is a grant or a gift. Funding Ukraine is under the purview of Congress, not the executive branch.

He can simply call it a loan and never require repayment or reimbursement, or he could extend the terms out indefinitely or request repayment in something else like Monopoly money--and I say that in jest.

Other requirements under the Arms Export Control Act include that the President determine that there are compelling foreign policy or national security reasons to lend the equipment rather than actually just selling it, and he considers any impact the loan may have on our national technology and industrial base.

Surely, none of us want the President to lend equipment if he doesn't believe we have a compelling national interest to be involved, or without consideration of the impact on our industrial base.

Finally, it requires that the President provide detailed reports to the Foreign Affairs and Appropriations Committees when he exercises the lend-lease authorities, which is a very reasonable requirement consistent with basic congressional oversight.

Mr. Chairman, I urge support of my amendment and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I believe in freedom. I believe in liberty. I believe in the right for a country to defend itself. I also believe in accountability. These are taxpayer dollars being used overseas. We have an authority, and we have a responsibility as Congress to oversee these dollars.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, while Members of Congress have diverse views on the conflict in Ukraine and the appropriate role of the United States, which we have talked about a lot when considering this bill, I hope we can broadly agree that Congress must exercise its responsibility to guide and oversee the use of our taxpayer dollars and our defense equipment.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I just want to reiterate that we are not saying that the lend-lease program can't be utilized, we are simply asking that Congress has the ability to set forth terms as is our responsibility.

We have an obligation to the American taxpayer to have accountability for these dollars. It is lend-lease; it is not a gift. If it is a gift, we should authorize it, but it is not. It is either lend-lease or it is not.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the robust debate. I want to emphasize under the lend-lease program there are terms set forth. This is something that we owe the American people. It is something that we would expect if it is utilized for other countries.

Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 287, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 288, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 289.

Mr. Speaker, Joe Biden's border policies have led to an all-out land invasion at our southern border, which is why the Homeland Security Committee should be investigating.

Joe Biden's border policies have led to a drug crisis and thousands of fentanyl overdoses across our Nation--again, the jurisdiction of the Homeland Security Committee.

Joe Biden's border policies have led to the murders of countless Americans at the hands of illegal aliens--again, a priority for the Homeland Security Committee.

His blatant dereliction of duty to preserve, dereliction to protect, and dereliction to defend the United States of America and the American people deserves impeachment.

Instead, Joe Biden has demonstrated time and again, in policymaking and political decisions, that he prioritizes illegal aliens over American citizens, over our wives, our daughters, and our children.

His gross neglect and refusal to take action at the border warrants removal from his post--again, why the Homeland Security Committee must investigate.

That is why I support Congresswoman Boebert's Articles of Impeachment and referral to committee.

The CBP had a record number of encounters with terrorists at the southern border. The security of our Nation is being undermined by foreign enemies because they know we have weak leadership.

We need to remove Joe Biden from the Oval Office and ensure that Americans are safe. We need a leader that puts America and its people first, not illegal immigration.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Boebert, Speaker McCarthy, and Chairman Green for taking this up, and I urge all my colleagues to support the referral of Articles of Impeachment to committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and dear friend, Congresswoman Luna, for leading the charge to hold our Democrat counterparts responsible for their gross misuse of power.

Adam Schiff abused his power as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee to create false narratives that were sold to the American people about President Trump. The Mueller report and Durham report both proved that the basis for the so-called Russian collusion investigation was nonexistent.

The Representative from California misled the American people and compromised the interests of the United States of America in service of defeating, persecuting, attacking, and defaming President Donald Trump.

Mr. Speaker, he was hasty, prejudiced, and wrong. It is clear he was concerned for no one but himself and the advancement of the Democratic Party's political agenda. Now, $32 million later, the American people are left with lies and the obligation to pick up the tab for this boondoggle of a political witch hunt.

The Representative from California prioritized personal political gain over the interests of our Nation, and he more than deserves to be censured by the people's House.

The Democratic Party has allowed an invasion on our southern border where every small town in America is now a border town. Every one of us knows someone who has been poisoned or overdosed because of fentanyl. Illegals are raping and killing people across our country. What do they do? They claim to have a solution, and they have none.

Madam Speaker, the hypersexualized left is not satisfied with its month of sexual pride. Instead, they are going after our children, and it is coming to a neighborhood near you.

From drag shows in schools, to gender-affirming care, to hiding sexual orientation and gender identity from parents, the sex-obsessed left knows no bounds; which is why I am introducing two bills to protect children and to affirm God's creation.

First, I am introducing the Keep Our Kids Safe Act of 2023, which will prohibit use of Federal education funding for drag performances or instruction by drag queens in elementary or secondary schools.

Can you believe that in this time that I am having to introduce legislation to protect children from men in dresses?

The second bill I am introducing is the There Are Two Sexes Act of 2023, which prohibits Federal funds from being used to create any Federal form that has anything other than male or female. America should not be funding the radical left's agenda to sexualize children in schools.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize Lt. Col. Joe M. Sahl for his service over the last two years as Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District.

A graduate of Texas A&M University, Lt. Col. Sahl was commissioned into the U.S. Army in 2004. Since then, he has dedicated his career to his country, and has been stationed in Europe, Iraq, and throughout the various states of the Union. Initially assigned to the 62nd Engineer Battalion, Lt. Col. Sahl served as a platoon leader, executive officer, and as an Assistant Operations Officer. He would go on to command Charlie Company of the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team where he trained and deployed before becoming the Brigade Engineer. He would go on to hold many other roles and commands before eventually becoming the 67th commander of the Nashville District of the Army Corps of Engineers. He has earned a Bronze Star twice, the Meritorious Service Medal six times, the Combat Action Badge, and numerous other official commendations. He also received the Army Engineer Association's Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal in recognition of professional excellence. Lt. Col. Sahl is married and is a proud father to two sons who have had an excellent role model in their father.

The command he currently holds, the Nashville District of the Army Corps of Engineers, has served the region since 1888. Initially tasked with overseeing the construction of a series of locks and dams on the Cumberland River, their mission now includes flood risk reduction, hydropower and recreation at nine multipurpose projects in the Cumberland River Basin, and stewarding natural resources in the region. The personnel stationed here under Lt. Col. Sahl's command provide oversight for the various civil projects of Tennessee. They have proven vital to maintaining the safety and well-being of Tennesseans.

I urge my colleagues to join me in thanking Lt. Col. Sahl for his service to his country and in wishing him good luck as he goes to his next duty station. I am sure he will continue to uphold the traditions of the United States Army and the Corps of Engineers he serves in.

Mr. Speaker, Joe Biden has failed the American people. He has failed to uphold his oath of office to preserve and defend the Constitution from illicit family business dealings and millions of dollars in bribes and payments to himself and to his extended family.

Joe and his border czar, Kamala Harris, have allowed an invasion at our southern border, jeopardizing the lives of hundreds of thousands and killing hundreds of thousands with fentanyl.

They have directed their Border Patrol to release illegals into our country unfettered. In fact, a judge had to even intervene and stop Biden's release program.

Joe Biden has violated Article II of the Constitution to take care and respect the laws of this country.

Mr. Speaker, that is why I am introducing Articles of Impeachment against Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Last week marked 34 years since the Tiananmen Square massacre. Up to 10,000 people were killed by their own government. They were run over by tanks and shot in the streets--all for demanding freedom.

The grotesque actions of the Chinese military have been remembered throughout history. Today, China continues to target, abuse, detain, and remove opposition.

It is important for the United States to make a statement condemning the evil regime, the CCP. That is why I am introducing legislation that would rename the road outside the Chinese Embassy to the Tiananmen Square memorial boulevard.

America needs to take a strong stand against the human rights violations of the Chinese Communist Party.

Let us not forget the Americans who have died because of the CCP virus, the Americans and children who have died because of fentanyl flooding our streets because of the CCP, the incursion of the balloon in our airspace, and the recent advances toward a naval destroyer and our military.

Mr. Speaker, it is time we stand and say no to the CCP.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 236 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 237.

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 233, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 234, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 235.

Mr. Speaker, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the CFPB, was designed by liberals to harass American businesses and has been compromising American consumers' access to financial services.

The CFPB is unconstitutional, duplicative, and full of bad ideas. For example, it is currently pursuing a rule that would effectively ban banks from offering overdraft protection, a benefit utilized by millions of Americans.

The CFPB is part of a Federal bureaucracy that Republicans have promised and pledged to do away with.

Today, I am introducing the Mandating the Abolition of a Threat to Consumer Happiness, the MATCH Act, which will impose a permanent hiring freeze at the CFPB, prohibit it from establishing any new positions and transferring employees, and halt any new appointments.

The CFPB is nothing more than Joe Biden's DEI enforcement bureau. It is an agency that needs to be burned to the ground, and I am providing the match.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize a constituent of mine, April N. Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN of Brentwood, Tennessee for her service over the last 2 years as President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

Dr. Kapu has an exemplary career of service with more than 30 years of experience in health care, including nearly 20 years as an acute care nurse practitioner. She holds both a master's and doctoral degree in nursing from the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, where she also currently serves as Associate Dean for Clinical and Community Partnerships and as a Professor of Nursing. Dr. Kapu has spent her career committed to advancing NP-delivered care and increasing patient access to NP care across all settings. She has been recognized as a Fellow for the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Fellow for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and Fellow for the American Academy of Nursing and has received several awards including the Vanderbilt University Medical Center's ``Transformational Nurse Leader of the Year'' and the Tennessee Hospital Association's ``Nurse of Clinical Distinction''. In 2022, Dr. Kapu was chosen as one of Modern Healthcare's 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners, representing the interests of the more than 355,000 licensed nurse practitioners in the United States who are delivering care in more than 1 billion patient visits every year. As President of AANP, Dr. Kapu has worked to ensure that policymakers and the public understand the critical role NPs have in increasing patient access to high quality health care, including disease prevention and health management, mental health care and substance use disorder treatment and reducing disparities.

I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. April Kapu on a successful term as President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and in thanking her for her leadership to the nurse practitioner profession and her enduring commitment to building and maintaining a strong national nursing workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2. I thank all of those who have worked on this important signature piece of legislation.

I specifically want to point out and thank my friend and colleague from Tennessee, the chairman, Congressman Mark Green.

Mr. Speaker, Lennox Lake, 6 years old, was killed by an illegal. Sarah Root, 21, was killed by an illegal. Maris DiGiovanni was killed by an illegal. Jacqueline Vigil, 55, was murdered by a man who had been deported on multiple occasions. Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Wayne Harbour, 75, was killed by an illegal. Joseph ``GT'' Paglia, a retired police officer, 48, was killed by an illegal. Michael White, retired U.S. Army officer, was killed by an illegal.

These are just a few of the individuals and countless Americans who have been murdered at the hands of illegal aliens through a porous border that has long been a problem.

What once was a trickle is now a flood. This administration that has overseen it is responsible for 10 consecutive months of over 200,000 apprehensions.

This crisis is the fault of this President so long as he refuses to enact policies to secure our border.

Our border crisis is literally killing Americans. It is threatening the safety of communities. It is costing at least $151 billion every single year in de facto subsidies for those who break our laws.

As we approach the end of title 42, it is imperative that we take action to secure our border and stop the flood of illegal aliens.

The House Republican bill, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, will force Biden to restart the construction of the wall. It increases Border Patrol agents, requires transparency from the DHS, ends the practice of catch and release, and strengthens the asylum process.

Again, I thank the Homeland Security Committee chairman and my fellow friend and Tennessean, Congressman Mark Green.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the bill I will introduce today, the TEACH Act, the Teachers Empowered Against Classroom Harm Act. This bill would ensure that those who choose to protect children from armed intruders have the opportunity to do so.

We are all aware of the tragedy that took place at the Covenant School in my district a month ago. These types of tragedies are indicative of the evil that exists in our world. While we will never be able to ban the intentions of evil people, we can allow men and women to equip themselves in order to protect our children and stop bad actors in their tracks.

The TEACH Act would take money from the Education Secretary's slush fund, over $27.5 million, and use that money to provide defensive training programs designed to protect schools and our most precious asset, our children.

There are untold numbers of humble, patriotic men and women serving in our schools who would take steps to protect our children. The Teachers Empowered Against Classroom Harm Act, the TEACH Act, would help make our students, our educators, and our classrooms safer.