Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Matthew Osborne, a dedicated editor, family man, and cherished member of the northeast Georgian community, who tragically passed away last month.

After graduating from George Washington University right here in D.C., he began his 25-year career in journalism as a sportswriter in Florida.

Over the years, Matthew worked for several newspapers, going on to become

the editor of The Northeast Georgian in 2019. His love of writing and commitment to objectivity earned him respect, not only from his peers but from his local readers. Matthew won numerous State and regional awards for his outstanding work, and through it all, he never lost his passion for covering sports.

Matthew is more than a talented reporter and editor. He was also a devoted husband to his wife, Samantha, a family man, and father to their three boys, Hunter, Cal, and Ollie.

Mr. Speaker, may God continue to comfort Samantha and her sons, as well as Matthew's peers and loved ones, during this difficult time.

Georgia's Ninth District will always remember the profound impact that Matthew Osborne had on his readers and on our community as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the left's dangerous rhetoric that has led to two assassination attempts on President Trump in 2 months.

First and foremost, I would like to thank all the law enforcement officers who fearlessly prevented a second utter catastrophe from taking place this past Sunday. I am also thankful for God's continued hand of protection over President Trump.

However, I am deeply disturbed that within a 64-day span, President Trump has seen an assassin's attempt to take his life not once but twice. After the first horrifying attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, many Americans asked for politicians and media pundits alike to turn down the temperature of their political rhetoric. Yet given the continued targeting of President Trump's life, it is evident that many on the left have not stopped spewing hateful speech and malicious lies.

For years, we have heard rhetoric from the radical left that goes well beyond policy disagreement and crosses into dangerous territory. Think about all the times liberal figures have erroneously labeled Trump as Hitler, or the biggest threat to democracy, or a dictator who must be stopped.

Now we are seeing the tragic results of that false rhetoric. President Trump has faced not one, but two assassination attempts.

This isn't a partisan issue. This is about the safety of our leaders, the stability of our Republic, and the rule of law. Yet disturbingly, we have seen numerous Democrats and the leftwing media blame these attempts on President Trump himself. This level of victim blaming isn't just ghoulish. It is a sinister attempt to normalize this senseless violence and to absolve themselves of any wrongdoing.

There are still many unknowns about both of these attacks, and while I certainly have concerns and questions about the obvious security failures that have taken place, I can't silently sit by as the left, including many of my Democratic colleagues, take no accountability for their incendiary rhetoric and shameless lies that undoubtedly have played a part in inspiring the assassination attempts on President Trump.

Since the liberal media won't hold them accountable, I will.

Here are examples of the left's violence inciting and dangerous rhetoric.

Vice President Kamala Harris: ``Trump is a threat to our democracy and fundamental freedoms.''

Again, she says: ``It's on us to recognize the threat [Trump] poses.''

Governor Tim Walz said: ``Are [Republicans] a threat to democracy? Yes. Are they going to put peoples' lives in danger? Yes.''

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: Trump is ``a threat to our democracy of the kind that we have not seen.''

Jasmine Crockett said: ``MAGA in general, they are threats to us domestically.''

Representative Dan Goldman said: He is a threat to our democracy, and, ``He has to be eliminated.''

Representative Steve Cohen said: ``Trump is an enemy of the United States.''

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz said: Trump is ``an existential threat to our democracy.''

Representative Adam Schiff said: Trump is ``the gravest threat to our democracy.''

Representative Gregory Meeks said: ``Trump cannot be President again. He is an existential threat to our democracy.''

Representative Abigail Spanberger said: ``Trump is a threat to our democracy. . . . The threats to our democratic Republic are real.''

Representative Mike Levin said: ``Donald Trump is a threat to our Nation, our freedom, and our democracy.''

Representative Eric Sorensen said: ``He is the greatest threat to law and order we have in our country today.''

Representative Jake Auchincloss said: ``What unifies us as a party is knowing that Donald Trump is an existential threat to democracy.''

Yesterday, just 2 days after the second assassination attempt, White House Press Secretary KJP said: ``President Biden has been clear-eyed about the threat that the former President represents to our democracy.''

Seriously?

She just couldn't stop herself and had to join in.

Moreover, let's not forget President Biden who said: It is ``time to put Trump in a bull's-eye.''

President Biden has also said: ``I mean this from the bottom of my heart, Trump is a threat to this Nation.'' As well as: ``Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this Nation.''

``He's literally a threat for everything this America stands for.''

For the last 9 years, the left erroneously labeled Trump as a racist, a Fascist, and an existential threat to our democracy. They have encouraged protests, approved of violent rhetoric, and, in some cases, refused to condemn violent actions. They have made it acceptable to view someone with opposing political beliefs not as a fellow American but as an enemy to be destroyed.

Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is when you constantly tell people that our democracy is in existential danger because of one man, and when you label that man a threat to the very fabric of our country, then you should take some responsibility and not be surprised when unhinged individuals take matters into their own hands.

Words have power, and Democrats have recklessly used that power for nefarious political gain, no matter the cost. We, as a nation, must be better than this.

I have six words for my Democrat colleagues: Stop it and stop it now.

Mr. Speaker, due to the Cloudstrike outage, I experienced extreme flight delays and was delayed at the Atlanta airport for twelve hours.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 356; NAY on Roll Call No. 357; and NAY on Roll Call No. 358.

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague from California, the chairman of our subcommittee, for yielding time.

I rise today to speak in opposition to the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, and I think we can all agree that everything that this body does must be measured against the Constitution, as it is the supreme law of the land. All of us raised our hand and swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and this legislation has constitutional problems.

In 1989, Congress passed the Ethics Reform Act, which granted Members an annual cost-of-living adjustment, known as a COLA, meant to adjust for inflation so that the value of congressional compensation would remain the same.

This COLA was meant to be capped at the annual percentage that every other Federal employee would receive. In exchange for the annual COLA, all Members of Congress were prohibited or severely limited from earning additional outside income, like speaking fees or other fees that could be easily translated into pay-for-play arrangements resulting in potentially tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars of additional income, especially for more popular or more powerful Members.

I certainly agree with the prohibition of this type for outside income for Members of Congress, yet I disagree with the manner in which the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act addresses eliminating the lawfully required COLA.

If Congress wants to eliminate the annual COLA, Congress can certainly do so, but this cannot, and I repeat, cannot be done through the appropriations process and remain in compliance with the Constitution. It must be done through a bill on the House floor that goes into effect after the next election.

The 27th Amendment says: ``No law, varying the compensation for the services of Senators and Representatives shall take effect until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.'' This means that the 27th Amendment prohibits any law from taking effect that varies congressional compensation without an intervening election of Members of the House. It was originally drafted by James Madison in 1789 and meant to ensure Members stay accountable to the people who elect them.

I firmly believe that the appropriations process is the wrong vehicle for this effort because appropriation bills are annual only by fiscal year, and there will never be an intervening election necessary between enactment and implementation in order to comply with the 27th Amendment of the Constitution.

Now, we all know that even if we pass this bill this fiscal year, the Senate will do nothing with it before the November election, and we will have a continuing resolution that goes to either December or into the new year.

For over the last decade, the continuing resolutions have included the COLA prohibition language, and when it passes, the COLA prohibition will immediately go into effect on October 1. Again, there will be no intervening election, therefore failing to be compliant with the 27th Amendment.

The language stripping the COLA has been added as section 214 of this FY 2025 appropriation, and so, per the 27th Amendment, it will have to wait until after the November 2024 election before it can take effect. Yet, it takes effect October 1, 2024, the beginning of FY 2025 without an intervening election.

To have the COLA prohibition language in H.R. 8772 would violate the 27th Amendment of the Constitution and make the bill unconstitutional.

My opposition to this bill is solely on a constitutional basis, and I would support the rest of the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act if this were not in it. Shy of section 214, I do commend our committee chairman for the excellent work in the rest of the bill.

I did offer an amendment to remove section 214, but it was not accepted for a vote, and I certainly wish it had.

I regretfully cannot vote for a piece of legislation that as I see clearly violates the Constitution because--and solely because--of section 214. I would hope none of my colleagues would either.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Lancaster Music Company.

Since Lancaster Music opened its doors in 1949, the family-owned business rooted in Gainesville, Georgia, has grown exponentially.

Currently, the company is managed by a third-generation Lancaster, Mrs. Emily Lancaster Barron, who loves music and working in the family business that is owned by Emily's father, Joey Lancaster.

Fun fact: In the early 2000s, Lancaster Music Company forged a relationship with the Bush administration, supplying pianos to the White House for its Christmas decor. The business went on to provide a new grand piano for the chapel at Camp David, which was custom-made in oak to match the interior during the Bush administration. Lancaster Music Company's pianos have been at Camp David now for the past four administrations.

The Lancaster family's commitment to filling our community events, our churches, and our lives with music is noteworthy.

I am truly honored to represent such an outstanding family-owned business that has provided pianos, guitars, trumpets, violins, and more to the Ninth District, the Peach State, and the country.

I congratulate Lancaster Music Company on 75 strong and successful years. May they have many more to come.

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

Mr. Chair, today, I am offering an amendment to flat fund the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also known as CISA, to keep it at the FY24 enacted level saving $57.8 million.

On CISA's website, the mission reads: ``We lead the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to our cyber and physical infrastructure.'' Unfortunately, CISA has strayed far from this mission.

Two years ago, CISA was part of the infamous Disinformation Governance Board, which was established at the Department of Homeland Security to censor Americans' free speech.

While the so-called Disinformation Governance Board was rightfully disbanded a few months later after enormous public outcry, many will be shocked to learn that CISA has not stopped monitoring and censoring Americans' free speech.

According to a 2022 news report: CISA drafted plans to target ``inaccurate information'' on a wide range of topics, including the origins of COVID-19, the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, racial justice, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the nature of U.S. support to Ukraine.

Also, business records released by Twitter suggest that CISA distorted its mission from protecting the Nation's critical cyber and physical infrastructure into controlling what Americans can say and what speech is acceptable online.

This is terrible. Americans' First Amendment should not be regulated or controlled through government by proxy censorship.

CISA was first created before my arrival in Congress with bipartisan support. Under the Trump administration, CISA focused on foreign disinformation and countering foreign influence. Unfortunately, since the current administration took office, CISA has aggressively shifted beyond the original mandate of countering foreign threats.

In January 2021, CISA officials renamed the Countering Foreign Influence Task Force, one of the key bodies of countering disinformation founded during the Trump administration, to the ``mis-, dis-, and malinformation team,'' meaning they took the word ``foreign'' out of the title.

Last summer, the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government released a report, titled: ``The Weaponization of CISA: How a `Cybersecurity' Agency Colluded With Big Tech and `Disinformation' Partners to Censor Americans.''

Several disturbing details about CISA were released in this report, including that CISA is ``working with Federal partners to mature a whole-of-government approach'' to curb alleged misinformation and disinformation and that CISA wanted to use the same taxpayer-funded nonprofits as its mouthpiece to ``avoid the appearance of government propaganda.'' This is simply censorship by proxy.

Last week, I had a conversation with the Director of CISA, and she told me that this report by the Select Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government is full of inaccuracies. Basically, it is not worth the paper it is written on. I strongly disagree. I think our Weaponization Subcommittee has done a phenomenal job.

CISA needs to return to its original mission of strengthening and protecting our national cybersecurity and infrastructure, not censoring Americans' free speech. CISA's bloated budget and the agency's increased weaponization mission to police free speech has gone on simultaneously.

There is a clear connection: Given extraordinary increases in funding, CISA has used taxpayer dollars to censor Americans and target speech that they find disagreeable. Therefore, I offer an amendment to flat fund CISA to maintain the FY24 enacted level. This agency must be refocused on their true mission, not given more funding to continue undermining our constitutional rights.

The only thing that gets agency attention in Washington, D.C., is funding. By flat funding CISA for FY25 it is simply putting them on notice, a shot across the bow would be the Navy way of saying it, to get their attention and cease the weaponization of this agency.

Mr. Chair, I hope that all Members of this committee will support this amendment to correct this weaponized agency and thereby defend our First Amendment rights for all Americans.

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

Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mr. Chair, first, I commend the chairman here of our Appropriations Subcommittee.

On sections 544 and 545 of this bill, I think it is critically important to prohibit the funding to classify or facilitate the classification of any communications by a United States person as mis-, dis-, or malinformation. I think, though we put the policy in the bill, it is the funding that gets agency attention, as I have mentioned before.

I think it is critically important to ensure that the funding that we have sends that signal to CISA that they cannot abridge Americans' First Amendment rights through modifying what people can see by classifying information.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment which relocates the reconciliation monument, sometimes referred to as the Reconciliation Memorial, back to its original location in Arlington National Cemetery. I am very grateful for the support of Chairman Rogers on this amendment.

Under the direction of President Biden, the Reconciliation Memorial was removed on December 18, 2023. This monument in Arlington was a powerful symbol of the healing and unification of our Nation after the deep divisions of the Civil War.

American leaders like President Abraham Lincoln and Union General Ulysses Grant knew that a divided nation could not stand, and they tirelessly worked on promoting reconciliation.

In 1898, following the end of the Mexican-American War, President McKinley undertook a process to create greater national unity. In 1906, President McKinley authorized the construction of the Reconciliation Memorial. Unveiled in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson, this monument, designed by a Jewish-American sculptor, features a woman crowned with an olive wreath symbolizing peace.

For over a century, Presidents of both parties have understood the purpose of this memorial of reconciliation and have honored it by sending wreaths to the monument. This tradition showing national unity and respect has been carried on regardless of the party or politics of the sitting President. Even President Obama understood the reconciliation monument in the context of what it stands for, unity not division, when he continued the Presidential tradition of sending a wreath to the monument. In doing so, Presidents have continued to emphasize the message of this monument, reconciliation and unity, not division.

Former Democrat Senator Jim Webb, a highly decorated Marine Corps officer and former Secretary of the Navy, has strongly supported the preservation of the Reconciliation Memorial because the monument is one of the most potent symbols of healing in our Nation and across the globe.

Democratic Senator Webb has said that the statue's removal would signify the desire of ``a deteriorating society willing to erase the generosity of its past, in favor of bitterness and misunderstanding conjured up by those who do not understand the history they seem bent on destroying.''

Now, I would like to share a little of this monument's history.

When this monument was originally dedicated back in 1914, Reverend Dr. McKim pronounced these words within his invocation:

And as the blue and the gray mingle their dust on this

consecrated hill, may the men of the North and the men of the

South join hands and hearts in the labors and sacrifices

which must be undertaken in the years to come for the honor,

the happiness, and the glory of our country.

Grant also, O Lord, that this monument may stand as a

perpetual memorial of the reconciliation between the people

of the States once arrayed against each other in deadly

conflict.

Men who once met in wrath on the field of battle meet here

today as friends and brothers in the great enterprises of

peace.

Henceforth, we pray and labor for the good and the glory of

our reunited country. We have beat our swords into

ploughshares, and our spears into pruning hooks. Ours it

shall be to strive in fraternal emulation with our northern

brothers, in all undertakings for the common weal.

Meaning the common prosperity.

President Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, had these words to say at the ceremony: ``I assure you that I am profoundly aware of the solemn significance of the thing that has now taken place.'' Meaning the dedication of the Reconciliation monument.

It was suggested by a President of the United States, who

had himself been a distinguished officer of the Union Army.

It was authorized by an act of Congress of the United States.

The corner-stone of the monument was laid by a President of

the United States elevated to his position by the votes of

the party which had chiefly prided itself upon sustaining the

war for the Union, and who, while Secretary of War, had

himself given authority to erect it. And, now, it has fallen

to my lot to accept in the name of the great government,

which I am privileged for the time to represent, this emblem

of a reunited people.

Again, I say: `` . . . this emblem of a reunited people.''

Last year, I led a similar amendment, which passed the House floor by voice with no opposition prior to the removal of the monument. I ask that all Members support the adoption of my amendment to return the Reconciliation Memorial to the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. In doing so, we can maintain a critical piece of our national unity and fill the empty spot that now exists in Arlington.

Let us unite against the destruction of our history. Let us fight for the principles of healing and unity, which is exactly what this memorial was created to accomplish.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8369, the Israel Security Assistance Support Act.

This critical bill ensures defense articles and services are delivered quickly to our steadfast ally, Israel, as they face unprecedented threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran.

On October 7, Iran-backed Hamas terrorists brutally attacked Israel, murdering, raping, and torturing more than 1,200 innocent civilians, and abducting over 240 others to Gaza as hostages, including American citizens.

In the following months since this unprovoked terrorist attack, Israel has continued to be under constant assault by Iran and its proxies. We must support our ally, Israel, and ensure that they have the weapons they need to defend themselves, including the small arms, the 50,000 rifles that the Israeli Government has on order that is being held up by our State Department, and the precision-guided munitions.

It is doublespeak. It is unconscionable that the Biden administration complains about civilian collateral damage when they are withholding the exact munitions that minimize civilian collateral damage.

H.R. 8369 would ensure that all previously approved arms transfers to Israel can move forward without interruption, as well as prohibit funds from being used to stop or cancel the shipment of defense items to Israel. In addition, it would require the timely shipment of any items that have been stopped or delayed by President Biden and the Biden administration to be sent within 15 days after enactment.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this critical legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I will always stand with our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel, but I rise today to express my serious concerns with a very flawed supplemental.

In November, I supported the first security supplemental for Israel, which was financially paid for and would have provided weapons and equipment for Israel's fight against Hamas. The cost was offset by rescinding the Democrats' unprecedented expansion of the IRS.

Today, we are considering a vastly different bill, one that is all borrowing, another $26 billion of debt with no rescissions.

The legislation also contains $400 million for FEMA, which has nothing to do with supporting Israel, and over $9 billion for humanitarian aid in Hamas-controlled Gaza and the West Bank.

A report from The Heritage Foundation stated: ``The problem with aid diversion to Hamas and other terrorist groups plagues all international and nongovernmental aid organizations operating in Gaza. . . .

``It is therefore highly likely that U.S. taxpayer-funded humanitarian aid to Gaza, including some of the aid in this bill, would again be diverted to support further Hamas attacks against Israel.''

Why would we knowingly be sending money into the hands of Hamas in any bill? If we are feeding Gaza, we are feeding Hamas. Therefore, with great disappointment, I cannot in good conscience vote for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of WDUN.

For 75 years, WDUN has provided north Georgia with a mix of local and nationally syndicated talk radio programming. Based in Gainesville, the radio station is a division of the family-owned media company, Jacobs Media Corporation.

Earlier today, WDUN commemorated this major milestone by returning to its roots, as its broadcast studio relocated to the Gainesville Renaissance Building in the downtown square, just steps away from where the station first went on the air 75 years ago.

I know I speak for all of WDUN's listeners in thanking the station's talented employees for their commitment to local journalism. It is a privilege to frequently join their programs, such as ``The Martha Zoller Show,'' to connect with folks across the Ninth District to tell them about my work in Congress. Whether it is breaking news, insightful analysis, safety announcements, or heartwarming stories, WDUN has been there to inform, inspire, and unite northeast Georgians.

As President Donald Trump said on ``Mornings on Main Street'' earlier this month: WDUN is a really special place, and it is a special voice.

Here is to 75 years dedicated to local journalism and many more to come. Congratulations, WDUN.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to strongly support H.R. 4639, the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act. This critical bill would prohibit government agencies, including the intelligence community, from purchasing Americans' data from third-party data brokers.

U.S. Government agencies are purchasing Americans' data through a loophole with third-party groups when they would otherwise need a warrant. Recently, the Internal Revenue Service purchased records and locations of millions of American cell phones. The FBI purchased geolocation data for mobile advertising.

The Cato Institute recently reported that data brokers collect and sell huge amounts of Americans' sensitive information, including whether they have an interest in firearms. Data brokers sell lists--in their words--of ``shooting fanatics'' and ``concealed carry licensed gun owners.'' They even sell information about Americans' interest in political organizations.

Government agencies like the FBI purchase this information as a loophole to obtain private information about U.S. citizens without a warrant.

Mr. Chair, I am deeply concerned that the practice of buying commercial data could not only threaten Americans' Fourth Amendment rights but could also pose a threat to their Second Amendment freedoms and be used as a way to track and target lawful gun owners in America. We must prevent this.

H.R. 4639 will provide the necessary guardrails to ensure that these three-letter government agencies, including the intelligence community, do not and cannot overstep and infringe on Americans' constitutional rights.

Why can civilian companies buy this data but not the government without a warrant? Because the government can take away your liberties. The government can put you in jail. Civilian companies cannot do that.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand with the Constitution and support H.R. 4639, the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul for his leadership on this bill, as well. It is greatly appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that we are considering my bill, H.R. 6046, the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act, today.

This legislation would reimpose the foreign terrorist organization designation on the Iran-backed Houthis, as well as reinstate additional sanctions against the group.

The Houthis have long been a source of terror and violence, not only to Yemen, but to the whole region. Yet, for incalculable reasons, the Biden administration refuses to call them what they are. They are terrorists.

President Donald Trump rightfully classified the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization in January of 2021 after a series of heinous attacks against civilians. However, in a shocking and politically motivated retraction, the Biden administration reversed President Trump's decision just 1 month later, further empowering the Iran-backed Houthis in their acts of terror.

The Houthis have carried out a series of ongoing attacks in recent months, including ballistic-missile and unmanned-aerial-vehicle attacks against international shipping vessels in the Red Sea. The attacks began last year when Houthi forces landed a helicopter on a cargo vessel and seized the crew. Since then, there have been more than 40 attacks on commercial ships by the Houthi rebels.

We express our deep gratitude to the brave men and women of the USS Carney who have taken defensive measures against the Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles on multiple occasions to safeguard the waters of the Gulf of Aden.

Tragically, two Navy SEALs were recently lost at sea and later declared deceased after a U.S. operation to intervene and seize Iranian weapons being transported to the Houthis. American blood has been spilled because of the Houthi terrorists.

Additionally, over this past weekend, the Houthis joined Iran's assault on our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel. While the Israeli Iron Dome and the United States Central Command thankfully intercepted 99 percent of the projectiles, the Houthis' growing aggression represents an existential danger in the region.

In response to these ongoing attacks, the Biden administration felt pressured, and so they recognized that they had to do something. Therefore, they designated the Houthi movement as a specially designated global terrorist group in January, but this lower-tier designation is simply not enough. It comes nowhere close to matching the force of a foreign terrorist organization designation.

President Trump designated the Houthis as both, and they should be both designations. The foreign terrorist organization designation, as provided in this bill, goes much farther, allowing for special criminal penalties for materiel support, like military supplies; immigration restrictions; and the ability for victims to seek damages. H.R. 6046 would require that the Houthis receive the foreign terrorist organization designation within 90 days after the enactment of this bill.

The Houthis' intentions are abundantly clear, but by passing my bill, we make our intentions perfectly clear, that the United States does not bargain with, nor capitulate to terrorist regimes.

Mr. Speaker, as the sponsor of this legislation, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 6046, the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act, to forcefully show that there will be consequences for the Houthis' egregious acts of terror.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Congresswoman Mary Miller, for hosting this Special Order and for being a leader in defending religious freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and celebration of Faith Month. During Faith Month, we rejoice in God's gift of salvation, thank our Lord and Savior for his many blessings, and celebrate the everlasting power of prayer and His Word.

As is said in Matthew 5:16, ``Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.''

The Bible calls on us to proudly demonstrate our faith and boldly champion our Christian beliefs. As a believer, I am thankful for this opportunity to celebrate our faith and our precious freedoms, especially at such a time as this when it is critical for Americans to be grounded in faith.

Our country is hurting, and Americans are crying out for strong, effective leadership. It is becoming harder to achieve the American Dream. Communities are being overwhelmed by violent crime, dangerous drugs, and illegal aliens. Our unalienable rights are being chipped away by the very people responsible for safeguarding our Constitution.

We need more leaders here in Washington who are rooted in faith, who put their trust in the Lord, and who use His Word as a guiding light through these challenges.

Our Founders not only knew the importance of Christianity in society but proudly acknowledged and gave deference to our creator in the foundation and core principles of our Nation. They correctly declared that our liberties are not granted by the government but by our Almighty God. This includes our most fundamental freedoms outlined in the First Amendment, which preserves our unalienable right to religious liberty.

By safeguarding religious freedom and drawing the Lord into our government, our Founding Fathers were ensuring unity and prosperity for generations to come. As George Washington asserted in his farewell address: ``Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.''

I pray that we don't lose sight of those supports, especially as we work to save our country and protect our freedoms.

Let us proudly join together to rejoice in and lead with our faith. May others come to know the salvation that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

Let us continue finding strength and wisdom in God's Word, and let us preserve and maintain our Founders' religious principles. A government whose foundation is built on God and His Word is a government that will have peace, prosperity, and liberty.

Madam Speaker, I say to my House and Senate Republican colleagues, it is time to put their vote where their values are.

Madam Speaker, you can't claim to be a pro-life champion and then fund abortion, abortion travel, and aborted fetal tissue research.

You can't rail against President Biden's intentional illegal invasion and then fund the policies that are causing the chaos without assuming the same responsibility. Just like you can't flaunt your vote to impeach Secretary Mayorkas and then fully fund his salary and his destructive border policies.

Madam Speaker, you can't defend America's Second Amendment liberties and then fund gun control by the CDC.

You cannot support science and protect young women and then fund transgender surgeries and fund educational institutions that allow biological males to compete in women's sports. I don't call them men because they are not real men. Real men protect women. They don't use their superior strength to steal the honor, hard work, and achievements of women.

Madam Speaker, you can't complain about the violation of America's First Amendment rights and then fund more disinformation governance boards and government by proxy censorship.

You cannot sound the alarm on our dire economic outlook and ballooning national debt and then rubberstamp spending higher than Nancy Pelosi's levels for FY 2023. The list goes on and on.

Republicans simply cannot righteously denounce Democrats' disastrous policies that are destroying our great country and then turn around and fund them. After all, if you fund it, you own it.

It is not too late. We promised the American people that we would fix these problems, not fund them.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the swamp's second half omnibus.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include in the Record extraneous material.

Mr. Speaker, tonight, I will be joined by a number of my colleagues to talk about the illegal alien invasion at our southern border and how it is victimizing our citizens.

Last month, a grievous event tragically reminded the American people that every State is a border State.

On February 22, Laken Riley, pictured here, a 22-year-old nursing student was murdered by an illegal alien in Athens, Georgia, on the campus of the University of Georgia.

Laken's murderer was an illegal alien who should never, ever, ever have even been here. He illegally entered El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 and was then released into the country via President Biden's significantly expanded parole program, an expansion that is illegitimate.

He then took a young, beautiful life, Laken's life, in a brutal and violent way. Laken's father, John, described her as an amazing daughter, sister, friend, who was selfless and considerate of others, with a laugh that was infectious and lit up a room.

He also highlighted her faith to me and noted that her love for the Lord guided her steps and shaped the way she lived her life.

Mr. Speaker, Laken should be alive today, running, laughing with her friends, studying for nursing school, and spending time with her parents and siblings, but she is not, and this tragedy was completely avoidable.

Her murderer is a dangerous criminal alien who took advantage of weak and bad Biden administration border policies. This horrific story has truly shaken our State and our entire Nation, and for good reason.

Laken's young life and bright future were cut short at the hands of an illegal alien. Her murder was 100 percent preventable because her murderer should never have ever been in our country. Yet radical, dangerous policies failed both her and her family.

Athens-Clarke County, the county where I have my business, the county where I have lived for 30 years, the county where as a Navy officer I taught when the Navy Supply Course School was in Athens-Clarke County.

This county is one of four sanctuary cities in the Peach State. This sanctuary jurisdiction undoubtedly incentivized illegal immigration, putting families, small businesses, and students in greater danger. Yet Athens' Democrat mayor shamelessly claimed that there is no connection between crime and immigration.

This is a flat-out lie, but it is a lie the mayor would rather tell than admit the truth: that his own policies played a role in Laken's murder.

But the buck doesn't stop with the failed leadership in Athens-Clarke County. This goes all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

As a candidate, Joe Biden instructed illegals to ``surge to the border.'' As President, he has ignored immigration law, destroyed our border security, and incentivized illegal immigration.

Notably, Secretary Mayorkas has unabashedly carried out the President's marching orders, willfully establishing a wide-open border agenda that has violated our laws and emboldened dangerous criminals like Laken Riley's murderer to illegally enter the United States.

Once aliens from across the world accept Biden's invitation, they are immediately released into our communities. In fact, Laken's murderer was released into the country due to the President's abuse of parole authority, which the Biden administration has weaponized to funnel millions of illegal aliens into the United States.

For 3 years now, these open-border policies have been in effect. The result has been the Biden administration's intentional illegal invasion. According to recent estimates, nearly 7.3 million illegal aliens have entered the country under the Biden administration's watch, a number greater than the individual population of 36 States. That is a stunning and unsustainable figure.

Clearly, we need to do more than secure the southern border. It is imperative that we also deport every solitary illegal alien who accepted the Biden administration's invitation to enter and reside in our Nation unlawfully.

If we do not deport them, more Americans will suffer the tragic consequences of President Biden's open-border policies.

The list of victims extends far beyond Laken Riley. In fact, a 32- year-old illegal alien was recently arrested for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Virginia. Another illegal alien was recently charged with first- and second-degree murder for a shooting that killed a 2-year-old child and injured his mother in Maryland. In Louisiana, an illegal alien was recently arrested for a series of violent crimes, including raping a 14-year-old girl at knifepoint and stabbing a man multiple times while robbing him. In Massachusetts, an illegal Haitian immigrant was recently charged with raping a 15-year-old girl in a hotel that housed asylum seekers.

Now, let's go back a couple years. Honestly, what I just said happened just the last few weeks, and yet the Biden administration has done nothing.

Let's go back a year or so.

In July 2022, Kayla Hamilton, an American, was sexually assaulted and murdered in Maryland by a 16-year-old alien and MS-13 gang member from El Salvador who was allowed to enter the U.S. through the unaccompanied alien program.

This 16-year-old illegal alien was initially apprehended by Border Patrol in Texas on March 23, 2022, and then referred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

According to the alien, members of his family paid $4,000 to a guide who smuggled them to the southwest border. On May 3, 2022, the Office of Refugee Resettlement placed the alien with a sponsor, his alleged first cousin in Maryland.

As revealed in his case file, the alien had been arrested by police in El Salvador on January 21, 2020, for illicit association with the MS-13 gang. The illegal alien's case file also included information from law enforcement officials dated August 2022, noting that the alien had tattoos affiliated with gang activity.

So how did he get here? Through the Biden administration's abuse and weaponization of the immigrant parole program. This 16-year-old murderer should never, ever have been allowed in this country.

How many times do I need to say that? How many more Americans have to be murdered or raped or assaulted by an illegal alien for the President to act? How many more Americans have to be killed by fentanyl? How many more innocent Americans have to suffer?

Right now, the President has the executive authority, the power to do everything, yet he continues to do nothing because this is all by design. So it is up to Congress to stop this madness by using our leverage, the power of the purse, to force the White House to do

the right thing for the American people, yet Republican leadership has failed to do so.

Two weeks ago, this body passed the first half of the swamp's omnibus. While this horrendous, backroom negotiated bill had many flaws, one thing stood out to me more than the rest: My policy rider to defund sanctuary jurisdictions like Athens-Clarke County where Laken Riley was murdered was removed from the bill. It was surrendered by our leadership.

Yet the bill passed under suspension with more Democrat votes supporting it than Republicans, but 132 Republicans still voted for it. They voted to keep funding sanctuary cities.

Americans are sick and tired of all talk and no action. Members continue messaging against the border crisis, then turn around and fund the Biden administration's policies that are creating this madness.

If we are going to truly secure the border and deport every illegal alien residing in our great Nation, then we have to fight. We need more Republicans willing to fight for the American people. I hope to see more of my colleagues join the fight when we consider the second piece of the swamp's omnibus, which includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security later this week.

Despite still not having the bill text, we have a pretty good idea that this massive government funding package fails to secure our southern border. Key border security provisions were surrendered, yet leadership is touting more resources, such as more detention beds for ICE as a win.

I disagree. Simply adding more resources without actually changing the Biden administration's open-border policies allows President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas to simply process and release more illegal aliens into the country. We don't need more Border Patrol agents that will simply be used as processing clerks.

Let me be clear: Any Republican who votes for the swamp's second spending package that doesn't secure our border owns the border crisis just as much as President Biden.

I am proud to have several of my colleagues here tonight to condemn President Biden's intentional illegal invasion as well as to discuss the power that Congress has to put a stop to this crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs), my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Arizona for those inspiring words. I agree with him absolutely, we need to bring up our border legislation every solitary week.

Now, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana. Those are strong words, and those are correct words.

Now I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Roy. I thank him for his work in the fight to secure our border.

I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Good).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks, and I applaud his efforts to stop President Biden's illegal invasion. He is right. We need to attach H.R. 2, the border security bill, to this particular funding legislation.

I thank all of my colleagues who participated tonight in this Special Order. We can and we must do more in the fight to protect Americans from Joe Biden's open border policies.

The most powerful way we can do this is through the power of the purse. We have an opportunity to take a stand against the Biden administration's intentional illegal invasion through the funding fight, and I urge my colleagues to do so. Otherwise, more avoidable tragedies like Laken Riley's murder will continue to devastate our Nation, and we will create more victims of our citizens.

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