Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration that yesterday was the third anniversary of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which overturned the disastrous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, a major victory for the pro-life movement. This decision rightfully reaffirmed that ending the life of an unborn child is not a constitutional right. While this was a step in the right direction, there is still much to be done to protect the lives of our Nation's most innocent.

Modern science objectively proves that new, distinct human life begins at the moment of conception. It is truly incredible that, with today's technology, we know that a baby's heartbeat starts at just about 22 days after conception, their unique fingerprints are formed at 12 weeks of gestation, and by 15 weeks, the baby is sensitive to pain. That is why I have cosponsored the Life at Conception Act, which legally recognizes the life and value of an unborn child regardless of their size or level of development.

Additionally, at the start of this Congress, I reintroduced legislation to recognize January 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as the Day of Tears to memorialize the unborn victims of abortion.

Since the Dobbs decision, the fight to protect the unborn is far from over, given the issue of abortion was handed down to the States. Therefore, abortions are still occurring across the country, and the rapid rise in access to the chemical abortion drug, mifepristone, is deeply alarming.

It is estimated that mifepristone accounted for 63 percent of the abortions in 2023, resulting in approximately 642,700 unborn babies losing their lives that year.

Women and girls have been misled into believing that taking mifepristone to induce an abortion is as safe as using Tylenol. However, new data indicates that nearly 1 in 10 women taking the chemical abortion pill experience serious complications, such as sepsis, infection, hemorrhage, or another serious adverse event within 45 days of taking the drug.

Mr. Speaker, this real-world complication rate is 22 times higher than the FDA currently acknowledges on the mifepristone label.

Additionally, the Biden-Harris administration removed the requirement for a woman to receive these drugs in person from a healthcare provider. This in-person requirement allowed providers to determine gestational age, rule out life-threatening ectopic pregnancies, and identify signs of abuse before dispensing mifepristone.

This change not only poses serious, irresponsible medical risks but also bypasses pro-life State laws, like what we

have in Georgia, by permitting the shipping of abortion pills.

Let me give you an example. This is a package, a brown envelope. This was ordered online with a simple filling out of a form, answering a few questions, and putting in your name and address. It showed up about a week later.

If you look at the return address, it is fake. It says: James Smith, 2301 L Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. That is the West End Library here in Washington. It was postmarked from Capital District 208 here in Washington, D.C.

In this package, in this brown envelope, are three packages. One, two, and three are the only marks on them. They are mifepristone and the drugs that induce an abortion. They are so easily accessed online, sent free of charge--but to whom?

I believe that any abortion is a tragedy. I also recognize that while mifepristone is still legal--and I hope that one day it is not legal and is banned because it is responsible for so many murders of unborn children. While it is still legal, for the well-being of women and girls, we must investigate the safety and efficacy of mifepristone and reinstate in-person dispensing requirements for the abortion drug.

Every life is a gift from God. As leaders, our greatest responsibility is to protect the life and liberty of every person, especially our most innocent. After all, our first and most fundamental right is the right of life.

Think about it. Think about the first document that birthed our Nation, the Declaration of Independence. ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.''

What was the first right mentioned? The right to life. We as a government have a responsibility to protect that life, especially the life of an innocent unborn child.

Abortion is not the solution. We must have compassion for both the unborn and pregnant women who are struggling. That is why I am pleased to know that, in Georgia alone, there are over 670 organizations that offer support and care for pregnant women.

As we celebrate the victorious anniversary of the Dobbs decision, I remain resolute in defending the sanctity of life and protecting the precious unborn.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman) for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, my Democrat colleagues have challenged why the deregulation of silencers is in this bill and why are we removing the $200 tax.

Under the law, they are firearms and therefore are protected by another law enacted in 1791 called the Second Amendment of our beloved Constitution. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, and neither shall it be taxed.

Chief Justice John Marshall in 1819 declared that ``the power to tax includes the power to destroy.'' If you can tax it, then you can destroy it. Mr. Speaker, you can raise the tax so high that almost no one can afford it, and then you really don't have a right at all.

However, the Second Amendment is an unalienable constitutional right, God-given, that governments are required to protect, not to tax.

The Supreme Court in the Heller decision of 2008 declared the Second Amendment to be an individual constitutional right further protecting it from taxation, just like the right to speak and the right to vote.

This bill simply restores that right from over 90 years of draconian tax.

My Democratic colleagues have asked: How did this get in the bill? What was the deal? Who asked for it?

There was no deal. I believe the Speaker with the purest of motives simply wanted to restore a constitutional right. Who asked? It was me. I asked.

Mr. Speaker, I missed Roll Call No. 105, On Ordering the Previous Question for H. Res. 354. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 105.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Biggs for holding tonight's Special Order and leading on this critical border issue.

Since day one, President Trump has taken incredible steps to secure our border and protect the American people. These measures include ending catch and release, reinstating remain in Mexico, restarting construction of the border wall, and cracking down on sanctuary cities.

Recently, the Trump administration ended the taxpayer subsidization of open borders, meaning Americans' hard-earned tax dollars will no longer be used to support or incentivize illegal immigration. Additionally, the Trump administration has made great progress in carrying out its mass deportation operation.

What used to be called the CBP One app to allow illegals to more easily come into the country is now the CBP Home app. Why is it called the CBP Home app? It is good for a one-way ticket home for illegal aliens so they can self-deport. President Trump is emptying our country of illegal aliens. Promises made; promises kept.

Border Czar Tom Homan and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem are tirelessly working to detain and deport illegal aliens. ICE agents, along with key assistance from local, State, and Federal law enforcement partners, have already arrested and issued detainers for thousands of criminal illegal aliens including murderers, drug traffickers, suspected terrorists, and MS-13 gang members.

For example, ICE recently arrested an illegal alien in Atlanta, in my home State of Georgia, whose criminal history includes a conviction of four counts of indecent liberty with a child. This heinous criminal illegal has no place in the Peach State or anywhere else in our great country for that matter. I am deeply appreciative of the Trump administration for taking criminal illegals off of our streets.

My northeast Georgia district has seen the devastating impact of criminal illegal alien crime up close and personal. Last year, Maria Gomez Perez, a 12-year-old girl, was abducted in Gainesville, Georgia, by an illegal alien. Thankfully, she was rescued and found in Ohio.

Days before the 2024 election, Mimi Rodriguez-Ramirez, a 25-year-old mother, was murdered by an illegal alien from Mexico. That happened in Habersham County.

Just outside my district, Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student, was brutally murdered by an illegal alien in Athens, Georgia.

Mr. Speaker, President Trump is working to prevent these tragedies from devastating additional families and communities across our country. I applaud his work to make America secure, safe, and great once again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my Congressional Review Act joint resolution of disapproval which seeks to overturn the Department of Energy's final rule on the Energy Conservation Program for Appliance Standards: Certification Requirements, Labeling Provisions, and Enforcement Provisions.

Over the past 4 years, the Biden-Harris administration has flooded our economy with burdensome regulations, stifling growth and restricting Americans' freedoms. In total, these regulations have imposed a staggering $1.7 trillion in costs on the American people. Fortunately, House Republicans and President Trump are committed to rolling back these unnecessary and costly mandates.

The latest example of overreach came in October of 2024, when the Department of Energy finalized new certification, labeling, and enforcement requirements affecting 20 different consumer and commercial products, including dishwashers, central air conditioners, heat pumps, washing machines, battery chargers, and light bulbs. These new mandates add unnecessary red tape, disrupt supply chains, limit consumer choice, and drive up prices. It is time to get the Washington bureaucracy out of Americans' everyday lives.

My legislation seeks to rescind this final rule which places excessive costs and bureaucratic obstacles on appliance manufacturers, costs that will inevitably be passed down to consumers. In its broader push against fossil fuels, the Biden administration has imposed at least 31 appliance regulations at an estimated cost of over $60 billion. This resolution would eliminate Biden-era energy conservation certification and labeling regulations, ensuring that American consumers, not Washington bureaucrats, decide which appliances best fit their needs.

Even the Biden-Harris Department of Energy acknowledges that this rule will increase annual costs for individual manufacturers by $213,000 and require an additional 2,905 hours of compliance paperwork, just paperwork, a major burden, particularly for small businesses. As a small business owner myself, I understand how crushing regulations like these harm the small businesses that drive our economy, especially in rural communities like northeast Georgia.

Last November, the American people soundly rejected the Biden-Harris administration's disastrous policies. Now, as President Trump moves swiftly to get our country back on track, Congress must act to roll back these costly misguided regulations, starting with the Department of Energy's appliance rule.

I thank Chairman Guthrie, Chairman Griffith, and House leadership for prioritizing this commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support its final passage to protect consumer choice, reduce costs, and eliminate unnecessary regulatory burdens.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of the House Budget Committee's FY25 budget resolution which advances President Trump's America First agenda by unlocking the budget reconciliation process to achieve the President's priorities and restore fiscal sanity in Washington.

This budget resolution paves the way to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Trump in 2017, which fueled historic economic growth and raised real wages. This resolution also provides instructions to reverse Biden's assault on domestic energy, rein in reckless spending, and deliver critical resources to the Trump administration so we can secure our border and strengthen our national security.

Finally, I want to address the fear-mongering among our Democrat colleagues. This budget resolution does not cut benefits for any legitimate recipient of Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. I challenge anyone to find a single provision in this 45-page resolution that cuts benefits because they can't. This resolution simply sets a budget framework so we can deal with the incredible fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid to stabilize and preserve it for those who really need it.

GAO alone estimates that the fraud--

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize retired Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum as the very first Special Georgian of the Ninth. This award highlights those who make a real difference in north Georgia, and Janis has done just that.

For nearly four decades, Janis dedicated her life to law enforcement, starting as a radio operator in 1985, serving 19 years as a criminal investigator, and then leading as Jackson County Sheriff for 12 years. Janis rightfully earned the Georgia Sheriffs' Association's 2023 Sheriff of the Year award, and she recently retired in December after 39 remarkable years of dedicated service.

Her impact extends beyond the Peach State, as she has also done inspiring work to help North Carolinians recover from the devastating destruction of Hurricane Helene.

The Ninth District is blessed to have heroes like Janis Mangum who continuously display a true servant's heart.

I thank Janis for her service and unwavering dedication to our North Georgia community. She is truly a Special Georgian of the Ninth.

In her retirement, may the Lord give her fair winds and following seas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an extraordinary milestone: The 100th birthday of Alan Kinder, a man whose life embodies resilience, courage, and a passion for service.

Alan's story is one of bravery, from storming Omaha Beach during the second wave of D-Day to surviving the Battle of the Bulge. After his heroic service in defense of our Nation, he returned home to build a life filled with family, purpose, and more adventure.

Alan has been both a witness to history and a keeper of it, reminding us all of the sacrifices made for our precious freedom. Yet, it is his warmth and compassion that shines the brightest.

Both Alan's kindness and the stories of his remarkable service have left an indelible mark on every person lucky enough to know him. On behalf of the Ninth District, I wish Alan a happy 100th birthday and entire 100th birthday year. I thank him for his service, his stories, and his example.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Texas for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, it is hard to imagine, hard to believe that we are actually here debating a born-alive act, that we actually have to do this. The question is about life. When does life begin and is government responsible for protecting life.

I say life begins at conception and government is responsible for protecting life. If we go back to the document that is before our Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, what does it actually say?

It says: ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.''

What is one of the first unalienable rights? It is life.

I guess the question is: When does life begin? Life begins at conception, and that is why I stand here in support of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 29, the Laken Riley Act.

This bill is in remembrance of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student who was tragically murdered last year in my home community of Athens, Georgia, by an illegal alien from Venezuela who should have never even been in our country.

After illegally crossing the southern border in 2022, Laken's murderer was released through the Biden administration's weaponization of the parole program. The following year, he was arrested by the NYPD for acting in a manner to injure a minor and for committing a motor vehicle license violation.

According to an Athens-Clarke County Police Department report, this illegal alien went on to shoplift in Georgia just weeks after his encounter with law enforcement in New York.

Clearly, this illegal alien had a pattern of criminal history, one that started when he accepted Joe Biden's invitation to illegally enter our country. He should never have been allowed to reside in the United States illegally, and ICE should have immediately issued a detainer after he committed these crimes. Ultimately, if ICE had been aware and then issued a detainer, this criminal illegal alien would not have even been in the United States to commit the horrific murder of Laken Riley.

We must enact changes now to protect our communities across the country from facing additional avoidable tragedies.

Thankfully, H.R. 29 provides a commonsense solution to do just that. This legislation requires ICE to issue detainers and take custody of illegal aliens who commit crimes like theft, burglary, and larceny.

The local jurisdiction, the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government, was a sanctuary city, and that is another problem. That is a big problem. The sanctuary policy hampered the Athens-Clarke County Department of Police Services and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office from recognizing and acting upon an ICE detainer, which could have prevented Laken's murder.

Time and time again, communities and families throughout our Nation have been devastated by heinous crimes committed by illegal aliens. In fact, this past October, the Peach State faced another unspeakable tragedy. In Habersham County, in my home district, Ms. Mimi Rodriguez- Ramirez was brutally murdered by an illegal alien from Mexico. She was just 25 years old and left behind a young daughter and a loving family.

The citizens of Clarke County and Habersham County are hundreds of miles from any border but are still being brutally victimized by illegal aliens. Enough is enough. These preventable tragedies must come to an end.

As a cosponsor of this critical legislation, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the Laken Riley Act. After all, one of the most formidable ways that Congress can deliver justice for Laken Riley, Mimi Rodriguez-Ramirez, and their families is by passing this legislation to prevent additional avoidable tragedies from victimizing the law-abiding citizens of our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Thomas Eye Group. For one-half century, Thomas Eye Group has provided exceptional eye care for folks throughout the north Georgia region, becoming a cornerstone of Georgia's healthcare community.

Whether it is through pediatric care, advanced surgeries, or the everyday gift of clearer sight, Thomas Eye Group has embodied what it means to serve with purpose. Their skilled doctors and staff have not only improved their patients' vision but transformed lives, restoring hope and clarity to countless Georgians.

I applaud their unwavering commitment to their patients, their integrity in practice, and their drive to embrace innovation while never losing sight of their mission.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate Thomas Eye Group on this incredible milestone. As we look ahead to the next 50 years, I am confident their top-notch team will continue leading the way in delivering exceptional eye care.

Wishes for a merry Christmas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the city of Suwanee in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

Folks have called Suwanee home for over 200 years, with Suwanee Old Town dating back as far as 1817. Yet, it wasn't until 1949 that Suwanee was officially chartered. At that time, the city was roughly 3.1 square miles, consisting of just a few hundred residents.

In the 75 years since, Suwanee has flourished, more than tripling in size, and expanding its population to over 22,000 Georgians. The once small agricultural town now boasts a charming downtown community, many prosperous businesses, and beautiful parks, offering an exceptional place for families to live and work.

In fact, in Fortune's ``50 Best Places to Live for Families 2024'' in the United States, the city of Suwanee ranked 27th in the entire Nation. That is incredible. I congratulate Mayor Jimmy Burnette and the city of Suwanee on this exciting milestone.

I am honored to represent the great folks of Suwanee in Congress, and I look forward to seeing the city thrive for many years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor the remarkable career and legacy of my dear friend, Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley, who is retiring after serving as sheriff for 16 years.

Randy, who has been in law enforcement for five decades, has always given his unwavering dedication to the safety and well-being of the folks in north Georgia, leaving an indelible mark on our community.

For 16 years, Sheriff Randy Shirley has led the Stephens County Sheriff's Office with integrity, vision, and a servant's heart. His achievements are many, but what stands out the most is his tireless devotion to our community.

From fighting crime and keeping drugs off our streets to enhancing transparency and mentoring the next generation of law enforcement, his actions have always reflected his deep love for the people he has served.

Madam Speaker, I thank Sheriff Shirley for putting his life on the line to protect ours. After December 31, while his boots may no longer be on the ground under that badge, his legacy will continue to inspire us all.

I wish my friend fair winds and following seas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2024 SEC champions, my MBA alma mater, the University of Georgia Bulldogs.

During a thrilling overtime game last Saturday, the Dawgs defeated the University of Texas Longhorns 22-19. This exciting win marks the 15th time the University of Georgia will bring home the SEC championship trophy to Athens.

Congratulations to all the talented young men who put their everything into the game but especially to the Ninth District's own quarterback, Gunner Stockton, from Rabun County, who came off the bench to help lead the Georgia Bulldogs to victory.

I also want to recognize the other incredibly talented Dawgs from Georgia's Ninth District who helped clinch another SEC title. Well done to Buford's K.J. Bolden, Jake Pope, and Marek Briley, as well as to Gainesville's own Dan Jackson.

Congratulations to the entire University of Georgia football team and coaching staff led by the legendary Coach Kirby Smart.

Go Dawgs. Let's bring home another national championship.

Mr. Speaker, objection.

Withdrawn.