Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments for the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson case earlier today, I would like to highlight what is truly at stake here; that is, millions of precious, innocent lives.

It all comes down to one simple fact: The presence of a heartbeat means the existence of life.

As early as 5 weeks, unborn babies in the womb can have a heartbeat. Furthermore, they start developing pain receptors just 2 short weeks later and are able to process pain by 15 weeks.

Anyone who claims an unborn child is not a human life is ignoring science, denying morality, and condoning murder. That is right: Murder.

Even President Biden acknowledged back in 2015, ``The moment of conception is a human life and being.'' On this rare occasion, I sincerely agree with the President.

As an unapologetic pro-life American, I will never stop fighting for the sanctity of human life or defending the unborn.

While we wait for further developments in this pivotal legal case, I am hopeful the eventual outcome will save countless innocent human lives and not add to the already 60-plus million who have lost their lives to abortion.

To put that number of 60-plus million into some perspective, the number of Americans killed in combat in the entire history of our Nation, starting from the war of independence, is just under 667,000, or about 1 percent of the 60-plus million unborn babies who have died during the last five decades.

I pray this crucial moment will confirm for all Americans that every life is precious, worth saving, and made in the perfect image of God. That revelation is a victory we should all celebrate.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for hosting this Special Order in honor of National Bible Week.

To my father who preached the Word as a minister of the Gospel, tonight, papa, you can hear me directly.

Through our Nation's history, from the earliest 17th century settlements to the War of Independence and to the

establishment of democracy, the Bible and its principles are intricately woven into our national fabric. This great experiment that is democracy has been undoubtedly buttressed by the Bible for now over two centuries.

It was because of their devotion to the Word of God that settlers rejected the oppressive rule of the Church of England and pursued a government free from religious tyranny.

On September 7, 1774, when the first Congress met together, what was their first action? It was reading the Bible followed by prayer. And what did they read? It was Psalm 35, and the first three versus of Psalm 35 say: ``Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, `I am your salvation.'''

The British had just attacked and occupied Boston, and these Representatives were seeking counsel from their creator.

The Bible was also crucial to the unity and success of our Founding Fathers. In 1813, John Adams wrote in a letter to Thomas Jefferson that ``the general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence'' were the ``general principles of Christianity, in which all those sects were united and the general principles of English and American liberty.''

The role of the Bible is evident in our Nation's founding and so, too, will the Bible play a pivotal role in our Nation's preservation. The infallible Word of God not only proclaims God's redemptive plan for mankind, but it acts as a moral compass for society and government that exceeds the bounds of time.

Tomorrow is December 1, and we are now in the Christmas season. Over 2,000 years ago, the prophet Isaiah spoke one of the greatest proclamations ever made in Isaiah 9:6, where the prophet says: ``For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.''

This prophecy was fulfilled with the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. This is the Bible, the Word of God come alive, and the government shall be on his shoulder. He shall be the support and underpinning of the Government, a government whose foundation is built on God, and his Word is a government that will have peace, freedom, and liberty. Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection are what enables us to proclaim joy to the world because he is the prince of peace.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us reflect on the Biblical principles that united and guided our Founding Fathers, and let us strive to maintain those principles every day by reading the most important book on Earth, the book of God's Word, the Bible. Soli Deo gloria.

Madam Speaker, I object.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding.

Madam Speaker, this monstrosity of a bill is the most progressive and expensive piece of legislation in our Nation's history. It will fundamentally alter the course of our great Nation by codifying the far left's dangerous policies, such as components of the Green New Deal, taxpayer-funded abortion, and the weaponization of the IRS.

In fulfilling the far left's wish list, this bankrupts America. And it does so, Madam Speaker, all while Americans are reeling from record- high rates of inflation that are crippling their pocketbooks, emptying shelves at the supermarket, and making gasoline prices skyrocket.

This compounded with the fact that the Biden administration refuses to address the myriad of crises plaguing Americans across the country, I am convinced that my counterparts on the other side of the aisle have no desire to set America up to succeed, nor are they interested in embracing the freedoms that we know and love, the very freedoms that serve as the foundational underpinnings of our great democracy.

No, this bill moves us not just one step toward socialism, it propels us into Big Government socialism. That is because this bill provides:

Universal preschool childcare from birth to the tune of nearly $400 billion, both of which are great opportunities for Washington- controlled curriculums and bureaucrats to indoctrinate our children in the most developmental of years.

$80 billion to double the size of the Internal Revenue Service, further weaponizing the agency and targeting hardworking American taxpayers. That should frighten every one of us.

$100 billion to establish a backdoor amnesty program that will give 5-year renewable visas to millions of individuals illegally residing in the United States.

The child tax credit to those who enter the United States illegally by dropping the current law requirement for a Social Security number.

$550 billion for the Green New Deal, including billions for a new climate green bank, environmental and climate justice grants, and the United States Postal Service to convert to an electric vehicle fleet.

And $12.5 billion for tree equity and radical environmental justice initiatives.

That is right, this bill leaves us knocking on the door of Big Government socialism.

My constituents sent me to Washington, D.C., to protect and secure their freedoms and to put Americans first, not last, and I look forward to voting ``no'' on this travesty of a bill.

I encourage all of my colleagues to also vote ``no'' on this Big Government socialism bill.

Madam Speaker, too many falsehoods have been spread about the Democrats' multitrillion-dollar tax and spend bill, the most radical and expensive piece of legislation in our history.

The American people deserve to know the truth about the grave ramifications of passing this fiscally irresponsible liberal wish list.

Let's unpack some of these egregious Pinocchios.

For starters, the left has erroneously claimed that the so-called Build Back Better Act is fully paid for and will cost American taxpayers zero dollars. This is false.

While we have not yet received the official CBO score, models show that Biden's Big Government socialist spending package should cost more than double what Democrats have previously reported. The number could be upward of $4.5 trillion, with $3 trillion of it being in new debt.

Additionally, President Biden has touted for months that this legislation will not raise taxes on Americans earning less than $400,000 a year. According to early reports from the Congressional Budget Office, this is completely false as well.

A recent analysis from the Tax Policy Center found that the reckless reconciliation bill would hike taxes for 20 to 30 percent of middle- class families next year, yet taxpayers in the top 5 percent will see a combined total tax cut of $32 billion. What a slap in the face to millions of small businesses, hardworking employees, and their families.

Lastly, the President and his Democrat allies have absurdly stated that passing their pricey package will help ease inflation. Ease inflation? Really? This is completely illogical and defies all reason unless, of course, your intent is to deceive.

Injecting trillions of dollars of borrowed Federal money into the economy, with billions of it going to climate change, will only worsen the already burdensome effects of record-high inflation. The result will be Americans struggling to afford gas, groceries, and heating bills.

Keep in mind, the sole intent of the Biden, Bernie bankruptcy act's enormous cost is to fund unpopular and radical policies, such as taxpayer-funded abortion, weaponizing the IRS, and mass amnesty for illegal migrants. Oh, and don't forget about the 150-plus new government programs that will further expand the Federal Government's size and scope.

Simply put, the unfortunate truth is that by ramming through their Big Government socialist spending spree, Democrats are selfishly prioritizing their dangerous, far-left agenda over the needs of the American people.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Jackson County Deputy Lena Marshall, whose picture is displayed beside me right here.

Last week, Jackson County lost a mother and a heroic law enforcement officer. After responding to a domestic call that spiraled into a violent shootout, Deputy Marshall tragically lost her life while serving to keep Georgians in our community safe.

While I never had the privilege of meeting Deputy Marshall personally, I am deeply moved by her immeasurable sacrifice and willingness to put Georgians' safety above her own.

As a resident of Jackson County myself, I believe I can speak for all of us in the county in saying that we are forever thankful for Deputy Marshall's dedication, her service, and her bravery.

My wife, Jennifer, and I continue to pray for Lena's family and for her fellow Jackson County officers during this difficult time.

May God bless our men and women in blue who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring much-needed attention to the Houthis' latest act of aggression.

Back in February, President Biden naively removed the Houthis, the Iranian-backed proxy force in Yemen, from designation as a foreign terrorist organization and from the specially designated global terrorist lists.

Taking full advantage of President Biden's foolish decision and complete lack of leadership, the Houthis stormed the U.S. Embassy in Yemen last Wednesday, using the raid to take hostages and equipment. After years of brutal tactics, this latest act of hostility confirms again that the ruthless Houthis must be designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

In June, I proudly introduced legislation to do just that. H.R. 3965, the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act, would reinstate the sanctions that the Trump administration placed on the Houthis, and redesignate the group as a foreign terrorist organization.

I am deeply concerned for the safety of the Yemeni locals who were kidnapped while protecting our embassy. And again, I call on the Biden administration to provide an immediate briefing to Congress regarding that dangerous situation.

I also implore all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3965, and I urge Speaker Pelosi to bring this legislation to the floor for immediate consideration.

We have already witnessed devastating impacts of the administration's botched Afghanistan withdrawal. We cannot allow President Biden's void in leadership to develop additional disasters in the Middle East.

In fact, at this very moment, our adversaries are defiantly gearing up to cause destruction. From China aggressively preparing for a potential invasion of Taiwan, to Russia successfully testing an anti- satellite weapon in space, numerous emerging international crises present additional leadership tests for President Biden. So far, the silence has been deafening.

For the sake of the American people and our allies, Mr. President, lead from the front.

America's Soaring Inflation

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the soaring inflation that continues to burden Americans across this great Nation. There are plenty of reasons to be thankful this holiday season, but Biden's Thanksgiving tax is not one of them.

Prices of common grocery items are skyrocketing, just in time for folks to gather around the table with loved ones. The price of a 15- pound turkey is up 27 percent. Apples are up 6.7 percent. Potatoes are up 13 percent. Cranberries are up 5.2 percent. And the list goes on and on. In fact, this year's Thanksgiving is expected to be the most expensive holiday meal in history.

But it doesn't just stop at the grocery store checkout line. Consistent with months of increasing gas prices, holiday travelers will face sticker

shock at the gas pump, where the cost of a gallon of gas is up 61 percent from this time last year. Gas is up 61 percent.

Purposely moving forward with another massive multitrillion-dollar spending package, Democrats continue to ignore these very troubling inflation concerns. American workers, families, and small businesses deserve better.

In the face of a volatile economy, we should prioritize fiscal responsibility and offer solutions to the inflation crisis, not make it worse and fan the flames of inflation by injecting trillions of dollars of borrowed Federal money into the economy.

Celebrating Mars Wrigley Flowery Branch Plant's 50th Anniversary

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mars Wrigley plant in the city of Flowery Branch, in the Ninth District of Georgia.

The plant opened back in 1971, becoming one of the very first confection factories in northern Georgia. Now, it is the manufacturing hub for the company's iconic gum brands, producing 75 percent of the chewing gum volume for the North American market.

Currently, the plant employs over 920 associates, of which 250 have been with Mars Wrigley for over 20 years. Due to their hard work, this factory is one of the fastest growing manufacturing plants in the State of Georgia, and has been recognized as such by the chamber of commerce for its impact on the Hall County community.

In fact, Mars Wrigley continues to go the extra mile by giving back to the local community, regularly volunteering in clean-ups, Christmas gift donations, and food banks.

Congratulations, Mars Wrigley, on 50 productive years in northern Georgia, and best wishes for another prolific half century.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2021 World Series champions, the Atlanta Braves.

After a stunning six-game World Series against the Houston Astros, culminating in a shutout victory last night, the Braves brought home the Commissioner's Trophy for the first time since 1995.

I, along with millions of Georgians, am incredibly proud of this Braves team for their unparalleled talent, electric team spirit, and unwavering determination.

Candidly, last night's victory was poetic justice after the Major League Baseball commissioner caved to the woke left and stole the All- Star game from Georgia earlier this year over Georgia's new election law reform that made it easier to vote and harder to cheat.

While ill-advised political ploys fade away, World Series championships are forever.

Chop on, Atlanta Braves.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Miller for her leadership on this vital issue of protecting education.

In their quest for absolute power, Democrats are not just stopping with doubling the size of the IRS to target Americans, granting mass amnesty for millions of illegal migrants, or imposing burdensome tax hikes on workers and small businesses. No. They also plan to nationalize early education.

The Democrats' $1.75 trillion Big Government socialist spending bill aims to strip parents of their freedom and hand over more power to bureaucrats and politicians in Washington. Under this irresponsible spending package, the Biden administration obtains total control in approving early childhood education standards while limiting parents' choice in their children's education.

Mark my words, Madam Speaker. The Democrats' reckless reconciliation bill is a shameless ruse to indoctrinate America's youth with divisive curriculum and radical ideas. It is no coincidence that this comes at a time when

the Department of Justice is targeting parents--yes, targeting parents--for exercising their First Amendment rights to speak out against critical race theory curriculum and unscientific mask mandates in schools. No wonder parents across the country are fed up with this nonsense.

Parents are the primary stakeholders in their children's education. It is not the radical left; it is not the Federal Government; and it is not the failed teachers unions. It is parents.

By injecting woke political propaganda into our schools instead of focusing on beneficial subjects such as history, reading, writing, and arithmetic, Democrats are holding children back from a top-tier education.

Additionally, through the Democrats' empty promise guise of affordable childcare, this legislation would actually drive childcare prices through the roof, forcing middle-class families to spend roughly $13,000 more per year.

Simply put, the Democrats' Big Government, socialist bill has the Federal Government's fingerprints all over education, which is not in accordance with the Constitution, and that should terrify every parent across the country.

This is one of the many reasons why we need to preserve school and parental choice at the local level. It will ensure every solitary student has the opportunity to receive an education that will adequately prepare them for the future and that every solitary parent has the choice to decide where their children receive that education.

Madam Speaker, let's empower parents and not embolden the Federal Government.

Madam Speaker, it was indeed the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 1918. World War I, the war to end all wars, was finally over. It was called Armistice Day. Today, it is called Veterans Day, and it is the day we honor the service and sacrifice of all veterans, those living and those who have gone before us.

This coming Veterans Day is not about having another day off work. It is not about enjoying another Federal holiday where we have an opportunity to uncover the grill. It is about honoring those who have served our country and sacrificed so we can live in freedom in the greatest Nation on the Earth.

Madam Speaker, I grew up in Canada. My mom was Canadian and my father was a U.S. citizen and a U.S. Navy officer in the Korean war. In Canada, we didn't call November 11th Veterans Day, we called it Remembrance Day; and we always wore a red poppy to remind everyone of the sacrifices made for freedom.

This is a picture of one right here.

The poem ``In Flanders Fields'' from World War I talks about those poppies. As an elementary school student, I was required to memorize that poem. I think everyone should know that poem, because it is so powerful. The symbol of the poppy for remembrance, however, did not come from Canada. It came from my home State of Georgia, from a professor at the University of Georgia named Moina Michael.

In fact, the highway between Athens, Georgia, and Monroe, Georgia, is called the Moina Michael Highway to honor her efforts. In 1917, she took a leave of absence from the university to volunteer with the Young Women's Christian Association to assist overseas workers in the war effort.

In November of 1918, inspired by the poem ``In Flanders Fields'' by John McCrae, she vowed to always wear a poppy as a remembrance of those who sacrificed in the war.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky,

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

We are so blessed to live in a country where men and women willingly put their lives on the line for our liberty. We must not, we cannot break faith.

As we celebrate Veterans Day 2021, let's honor their service and remember their sacrifice by asking one simple question: How can we carry the burden for liberty?

May God bless America and may God bless our military.

Soli Deo gloria.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to continue to recognize the month of October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month and to further highlight the importance of cybersecurity across our country.

Our Nation's safety and security are being challenged by enemies through cyberspace. As we have seen over the last year, these attacks can lie dormant for many months before being detected and can have devastating impacts on our economy and way of life. Furthermore, these cyberattacks can be carried out by both state and nonstate actors with ease, as they are relatively inexpensive to execute.

There are certainly effective ways to immediately respond to a cyberattack, yet victims are often constrained due to lack of capabilities, knowledge, or resources.

In many ways cyberattacks have emerged as a near-perfect weapon against our Nation. During these last 10 months in Congress, I have become aware of just how destructive a cyberattack can be on a small business. It makes no difference what the business does. The only concern of the thieves is that the business be vulnerable. That is what happened to a company in my district in rural north Georgia 3 years ago.

The operations of a company that manufactured various bathroom fixtures came to a screeching halt when it was hijacked by a ransomware attack. This business was then forced to send a $100,000 ransom using cryptocurrency, bitcoin, to obtain the decryption key that would allow them to resume functioning. For almost 5 weeks their operations were shut down by the attack.

When I spoke to the business management team, they told me the attack happened so quickly that they were not sure what to do or to whom to turn. In the end, this business suffered a loss of over $1 million in hard currency--money that had to be paid out to fix or replace equipment and almost $10 million in lost revenue.

Any American or business can face the same horrifying reality. That is why it takes all of us to prevent these intrusions from occurring. It starts with fundamental cybersecurity practices that work to strengthen network resiliency; commonly known as good cyber hygiene.

The Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, spearheads efforts to educate Americans on what steps they can take to practice proper cyber hygiene.

I fully support CISA's efforts in this endeavor and encourage everyone, especially businesses, to take a look at the resources CISA has to offer to be more safe and more secure online. Madam Speaker, you can find them online at www.CISA.gov.

Biden Border Crisis

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the ongoing and record-breaking Biden border crisis. Hidden in last Friday's news dump, the latest data from Customs and Border Protection reveals Biden's self-inflicted crisis at our southern border is far from over. Last month there were 192,000 encounters at our southern border alone--a 232 percent increase from September of last year. This is the seventh straight month of more than 170,000 illegal encounters--a trend never before recorded.

This insanity must stop. The chaos at our southern border has now recklessly reached over 1.4 million illegal border crossings since President Biden took office. Yet during the President's townhall last week, he claimed that he hasn't had time to visit the crisis that he created. Keep in mind, Madam Speaker, the President has managed to visit his Delaware beach house almost every weekend of his Presidency.

It is shameful, Madam Speaker, that the President doesn't feel the need to witness the very crisis that he created. I refuse to ignore this administration's blatant dereliction of duty. The country needs to continue to hear about it until the issue is fixed, and I will continue working with my Republican colleagues to strengthen border security and put Americans first.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller), my good friend and colleague, for yielding.

Madam Speaker, veterans and their families have made many sacrifices for our great Nation. Through their service, these men and women have earned numerous benefits, and those benefits are validated by the member's individual service record.

The repository for those records is the National Personnel Records Center. The center is behind in its work. With the pandemic, the backlog to obtain military records jumped from 56,000 to over 500,000 requests. That is a tenfold increase.

That is 500,000 veterans and their families who are waiting on documentation that they need to apply for and receive benefits that they earned, including the GI Bill education benefits, VA loans, medical benefits, disability compensation, life insurance, and even burial benefits for their families.

When these issues were first reported last year, the National Personnel Records Center stated that the pandemic prevented their employees from being able to process record requests in a safe environment. As such, Congress appropriated additional funds to address the center's concerns and to help expedite the digitization of records.

However, the center did not grant its employees the proper technology to work from home during the pandemic until early 2021, nearly a year after the pandemic began. This choice by the center only compounded the worsening backlog.

Also, the Archivist of the United States, who oversees the NPRC's operations, noted in his latest correspondence to Congress that he expects the center to eliminate the backlog of veteran requests by the end of fiscal year 2022. That means this time next year, a whole year. This is simply unacceptable.

Each Member of this body has at least one veteran in their district impacted by this backlog, probably many, many veterans. It is time for all of us

to step up to the plate to demand results. Show us that these record requests are being processed in a timely manner.

I commend Representative Keller for spearheading this tonight to fix this issue. Part of that is through the introduction of his bill, the RECORDS Act. I appreciate his efforts very much, and I am proud to join him in this fight. I thank him for the invitation to participate.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express, once again, my sincere dismay that Democrats continue to ignore the wishes of the American people by removing the Hyde amendment and other life-affirming protections for the unborn from their bills, including their Big Government, socialist tax-and-spend reconciliation bill.

My constituents are righteously angry that Democrats in control of this body time and time again choose to violate the sanctity of life. Moreover, they are furious at the thought of their tax dollars being used to violently end the lives of millions of unborn babies, millions of precious heartbeats in the womb.

Madam Speaker, you and I both know full well that the Hyde amendment has saved lives. This is not just an opinion but a proven fact that simply cannot be ignored.

I will always stand in support of the Hyde amendment and unapologetically fight for the sanctity of life. I urge my Democrat colleagues to abandon their political charade and restore the Hyde amendment in the bipartisan way it has been supported for almost 45 years.

Again, I urge you to restore the Hyde amendment.

Madam Speaker, I thank Vice Chairman Johnson, my good friend from Louisiana, for yielding.

Madam Speaker, no matter how hard the White House attempts to spin this economic crisis as a high-class problem, our Nation's financial future is in shambles because of the Biden administration's policies and it affects all of us.

Inflation continues to climb ahead of the holiday season hitting a 13-year high just last week. From the gas pump to the grocery store, Americans are paying more for just about everything while they are working less. Despite having over 10 million job openings across the country, only 194,000 jobs were added last month, making September President Biden's worst jobs report since taking office.

Instead of putting the brakes on spending, Biden and his allies in Congress are carelessly adding fuel to the inflationary fire by advancing their $1.2 trillion--only 9 percent--infrastructure bill, and $4.3 trillion Big Government socialist spending package. So

in the face of an economic catastrophe, Democrats are gearing up to spend a whopping $5.5 trillion on their liberal wish list. That is wrong for small businesses. That is wrong for hardworking people across the country, and that is just wrong for America.

Squandering trillions of dollars for unpopular, radical, and dangerous policies, while imposing a $2.1 trillion tax hike to pay for it, will only inflame the current economic crisis and burden Americans with more financial instability.

How many more empty shelves will it take and record-high gas prices-- yes, look, $3.30 per gallon is where we are right now. That is a 50 percent increase from where we were for the last 4 years under the Trump administration. How many more struggling Americans will it take for the Biden administration to get serious about this economic crisis and call it a crisis, and act like it is a crisis?

For the sake of our country, I call on President Biden to join us. Reverse course and work with Republican lawmakers to get our economy back on track.