Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of my bill, H.R. 9616, the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative, or EMRTAI, Authorization Act of 2026.

Critical materials are essential to some of the most important technologies and products in the communications, energy, defense, and transportation sectors. However, their supply chains are vulnerable to disruption, and we rely on other nations, including

adversaries such as China, for many of them.

China is currently responsible for over 70 percent of global rare earths metal production and refines up to 87 percent of the world's supply of critical minerals.

Unless we develop more domestic sources for critical materials, we will remain at the mercy of our enemies. Fortunately, cutting-edge technologies are emerging to identify and take advantage of unconventional sources of critical materials right here at home.

For example, in my home State of Texas, researchers and companies are exploring ways to recover lithium and other critical minerals from produced water generated during oil and gas production.

The Permian Basin alone generates millions of barrels of produced water every day, one of the largest produced water streams in the world. The sheer volume of that water can present a challenge but also presents an incredible opportunity to recover valuable critical minerals from a resource that has been historically treated as a waste stream.

Mr. Speaker, there are thousands of contaminated sites across the United States, including over 1,300 on the EPA's National Priorities List of the country's most contaminated sites.

Additionally, on Federal lands alone, the Federal Government has spent over $100 million remediating contamination from abandoned hardrock mine sites. However, while these sites are threats to human health and the environment, they can be good sources of critical minerals.

The EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026 directs the EPA to stand up a program to support methods to identify and recover critical materials at contaminated sites, contributing to the development of new domestic sources and encouraging the remediation of these sites. EPA already has experience funding such projects.

Addressing our supply chain vulnerability is a daunting challenge, but creative solutions that leverage technological innovation play a major role in solving it.

I am grateful that we can work across the aisle to advance this legislation, and I thank my colleague from Ohio, Mr. Landsman, for joining me in leading this endeavor.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable Airman and leader, Lieutenant General John P. Healy, on the occasion of his retirement as the Chief of Air

Force Reserve and Commander, Air Force Reserve Command, after more than three decades of distinguished service.

A native son of Connecticut, General Healy graduated from Windsor High School in 1985 and attended the University of Connecticut (UConn), earning his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1989. General Healy then embarked on a career that would see him become a command pilot with more than 5,000 flight hours, including 402 combat hours operating in hostile airspace over Iraq and Afghanistan. An ``Air Mobility Warrior,'' his journey took him from the C-141 Starlifter at then-McGuire Air Force Base, to the initial cadre of the C-17 Globemaster III program at then-Charleston Air Force Base, and ultimately to the C-5 Galaxy at Westover Air Reserve Base. A true Citizen Airman, General Healy also served as a Captain with U.S. Airways from 1999 to 2002, commanding the Boeing 737, and continues to serve as an Airbus A320 Captain with JetBlue.

Throughout his career, General Healy has commanded at all echelons, demonstrating exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to the Airmen under his command. Joining him on this journey and making it all possible is his wife of 34 years and fellow UConn Husky, Cathy. The Healy's have two daughters, Shannon and Paige, born in 1996 in Charleston, South Carolina, and in 1998 in Altus, Oklahoma, respectively. It was while they were in South Carolina and Oklahoma that General Healy was actively training future generations of C-17 pilots as an Instructor Pilot and the Chief of Standardization and Evaluation. General Healy then progressed from critical squadron and wing assignments to key command and joint assignments, including the Director of Exercises and Assessments for U.S. European Command and then the Commander of the Twenty-Second Air Force, culminating in his current position where he is a steadfast advocate for more than 67,000 Reserve Citizen Airmen worldwide.

General Healy's tenure as Chief of Air Force Reserve has been marked by his clear vision of a force that is ``Ready Now and Transforming for the Future.'' He has championed the modernization of the Air Force Reserve, ensuring that it remains an efficient, experienced, accessible, and lethal force prepared to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Having personally experienced the challenges of balancing civilian-sector expertise with military excellence, General Healy is a tireless promoter for the well-being of Reserve Citizen Airmen and their families, recognizing that they are the foundation of the Reserve Advantage and the key to the Air Force's continued success.

General Healy's leadership has been instrumental in shaping the Air Force Reserve into the formidable force it is today. His dedication to our Nation, his commitment to the men and women of the Air Force, and his visionary leadership have left an indelible mark on the service.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of a grateful Nation, I extend my deepest thanks to Lieutenant General John P. Healy for his extraordinary service to his family, his airmen, and this country. I wish him, his wife Cathy, and their daughters, Shannon and Paige, all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of one of our own, Mr. Ed Scott, whose life was taken by a senseless act of violence on June 12, 2026.

Ed graduated from Lake View High School in San Angelo, and he was a dedicated city of Midland employee, serving his community for many years.

He was well known throughout Midland and west Texas for his involvement in softball, where he spent over 30 years as an umpire, officiating recreational, high school, and collegiate games. Ed's impact extended far beyond the softball field. He devoted much of his time to mentoring young athletes and umpires, creating memories that will live on for generations.

The loss of Ed Scott leaves a void that cannot be filled. He was the kind of man who made his community stronger simply by being a part of it. His love for family and dedication to softball and so many other activities will continue to inspire all who knew him.

We continue to pray for his wife, Laura; his children; his grandchildren; and the entire community of Midland. May God grant them peace, and may his memory serve as a blessing to all who knew him.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 2323, a bill originally introduced by Representative Gonzales of

Texas, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. Speaker, a delayed commercial flight prevented my timely arrival in Washington, D.C.

As a result, I was unable to be present for the scheduled votes. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 138, and YEA on Roll Call No. 139.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability Act, also known as the FENCES Act.

States and communities are being pushed into nonattainment because of pollution that they don't control and they can't prevent. As was just mentioned by my colleague from New Jersey who said that we can't control pollution across borders, that is right. That is why we have to come up with this bill.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires, emissions drifting across our southern border, and other foreign sources can overwhelm local air quality readings even when the States are fully compliant and acting in good faith.

Congress has long recognized this reality. That is why the Clean Air Act allows States to account for foreign emissions when those emissions interfere with attainment, but that balance was disrupted when EPA guidance under the Biden administration sharply narrowed what counts as foreign emissions, limiting relief to certain human-caused sources while excluding events like wildfires. That distinction was arbitrary and unworkable. States cannot regulate another country, and they certainly cannot regulate natural disasters.

The FENCES Act corrects that mistake. In fact, let me change that phrasing. The FENCES Act corrects that overreach by the previous administration. It clarifies that all foreign emissions, whether natural or human caused, must be excluded when the EPA makes nonattainment determinations or reviews new source permits. Just as important, the bill allows States to raise these issues earlier in the process rather than years after the planning and investment have happened when the consequences are most severe.

Those consequences are significant. Nonattainment designations impose substantial regulatory burdens on States, communities, energy producers, and manufacturers. They trigger stricter permitting requirements, delay infrastructure projects, and raise the costs for businesses trying to expand or hire. For energy producers, it means slower approvals for drilling and processing. For manufacturers, it means uncertainty around whether a project will even move forward. For local communities, it means fewer jobs and less investment, even when they have done everything right to comply with the law.

The issue is not theoretical. In my area, the Permian Basin, we saw how even the possibility, the threatening of a nonattainment designation can create uncertainty. That uncertainty affects permitting timelines, capital planning, and long-term investment decisions for both producers and local communities. Companies begin to question whether new jobs will face delays or additional requirements, and local leaders are left planning around an unclear regulatory future. When the stakes are that high, EPA needs to get the analysis right. That is the way the law was written, and this bill gets us back to that intent.

It was said that this bill favors the dirty production in manufacturing and lowers the air quality. No, it actually holds our communities accountable. It holds them accountable, the communities that we care about domestically that should be held accountable, but shouldn't be penalized for cities in Mexico or wildfires that are happening in Canada or other foreign sources that they don't control. That is what this bill does.

When the Supreme Court decided on the Loper Bright case, that is the Chevron deference case, this is the decision they had in mind because the Biden administration overreached so often and so critically.

This bill is a targeted, commonsense measure that does not change air quality standards. In fact, it actually enforces them more accurately within our local communities, and it makes a narrow adjustment to ensure that compliance determinations are fair by excluding foreign emissions from EPA nonattainment designations.

American workers and businesses should not face regulatory penalties for pollution originating outside our borders or for uncontrollable natural events. I urge my colleagues to think about a commonsense solution and to get back to the intent of the law, which is exactly what the FENCES Act does.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a remarkable milestone in American energy leadership, the 50th anniversary of the American Exploration and Production Council. As the proud Representative of Texas's 11th Congressional District, home to the Permian Basin and the world's most productive oil and natural gas fields, this anniversary holds tremendous significance to my constituents and our state.

Founded in 1976 during a time of energy shortages and growing dependence on foreign oil, AXPC has long advocated for policies that support responsible domestic production. Over the past five decades, independent producers have driven the innovation that transformed the United States into the world's leading producer of oil and natural gas.

Through exceptional technological ingenuity and know-how, these companies are the authors of the shale revolution. They have strengthened our energy security, created millions of jobs, and enabled the United States to become a net energy exporter.

This progress has also contributed to meaningful environmental gains. The United States' carbon dioxide emissions have reached their lowest level in decades in large part due to the work of AXPC and top American producers.

As global energy demand continues to rise, American producers remain essential to meeting that need while fueling our economy and national security.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing AXPC's 50th anniversary and the independent producers whose steadfast commitment to American energy dominance will solidify our Nation's prosperity and national security for decades to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7084, the Defending American Property Abroad Act. I thank Chairman Graves for his support.

Let's be clear, American companies operating abroad should not have to fear arbitrary government actions that undermine their property rights, but right now, that is exactly what is happening. When countries violate trade agreements and illegally seize assets from U.S. companies, it puts American job security, economic security, and, quite frankly, our national security at risk.

H.R. 7084 ensures there are enforceable consequences for those actions. Specifically, it strengthens U.S. maritime security law to address these unlawful seizures. Through existing Coast Guard authorities, it also authorizes the President to deny entry into U.S. ports for vessels that operate through expropriated American-owned port infrastructure in Western Hemisphere countries with U.S. free trade agreements.

We know this is not just a hypothetical example. For years, the Mexican Government has targeted the U.S.-based Vulcan Materials Company.

In 1986, Vulcan Materials Company built the only deepwater port in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, and for decades this operation supplied crushed limestone to critical infrastructure projects across the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts, roads, bridges, housing, and energy facilities in States represented by Members on both sides of the aisle.

But starting in May of 2022, the Mexican Government launched an endless pressure campaign against Vulcan Materials and sent the military to forcibly shut down its operations.

In 2023, they invaded and occupied the property again just to hand it to a private Mexican competitor.

In 2024, they declared the port and a quarry adjacent to it a ``naturally protected area'' to complete the expropriation, and now Mexico is weaponizing its tax authority, pursuing billions in retroactive dollars in claims to seize what remains.

Meanwhile, Mexico has allowed a dozen unpermitted quarries in the same exact region for Mexican companies to operate freely. Let me say that again. Mexico used its military to forcibly shut down an American company and created false environmental claims to do so. That is a direct violation of the USMCA.

We did not resort to legislation as a first option. In fact, for 4 years, the United States has pursued every available diplomatic tool, congressional letters, administration engagement, and bilateral pressure, and none of that worked.

This represents a coordinated multifront campaign by Mexico against an American company that undermines our diplomatic progress and threatens all U.S. investment in Mexico.

Now, my colleagues may ask: Why is this bill the right response? First, it is surgical. It targets expropriated port infrastructure only. It will not disrupt current, legitimate shipping operations. Second, it includes clear off-ramps. If the foreign government returns the property, provides fair compensation, and resolves the dispute, then the restrictions are lifted. Lastly, it includes exceptions for emergencies and maritime safety.

I am proud to have worked in a bipartisan way with Representatives Carbajal and Sewell and Chairman Graves' committee staff on this legislation.

This isn't just about one company. We cannot allow a foreign government to steal American property and face zero consequences.

This is an opportunity for us to protect American investment abroad, to protect American companies, and to protect our own communities. If you are an American company operating abroad, we have vowed to protect you, and this legislation does just that.

I urge colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 7084.

Mr. Speaker, I will remind my colleagues across the aisle that not a single Republican has ever voted for ObamaCare. This is your plan. You put it into law. It was a disaster then. It is a disaster now. It was more expensive now than it has ever been, and it is your plan. It is our job to fix it, which is exactly what we are doing.

Mr. Speaker, ObamaCare has failed to deliver on its promises. It has left millions of Americans with higher premiums. Again, your votes did that. It has fewer choices, less coverage, and is plagued by fraud, waste, and abuse.

Mr. Speaker, I recently had a constituent write to me, outlining her and her husband's experience, demonstrating systematic fraud within the ACA marketplace. Her husband has been repeatedly enrolled in an ACA plan without consent since November 2023 in a scheme where brokers and agents are fraudulently enrolling individuals to collect commissions and meet enrollment quotas. This broker gained unauthorized access to his prescription records and replaced his legitimate employer-sponsored insurance coverage at his pharmacy.

I wish I could say that these examples are one-time instances, but we know they are not. The system was built for this kind of fraud. They represent the broader failure that is ObamaCare.

We must take action to fix this broken system and make healthcare actually affordable, not the Ponzi scheme that it currently is.

The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act is a great first step toward this mission, and we will drive down health insurance premiums immediately by 11 percent through cost-sharing reduction payments, provide patients with greater transparency, and support small businesses that offer employment-based healthcare.

Mr. Speaker, we should do more as a Republican Conference, including creating Trump health freedom accounts and allowing Americans to shop across State lines, encouraging competition.

Not a single Republican ever voted for your plan, but we are fixing it now. This is a good first step.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my legislation. I am proud to offer H.R. 1949 today, Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act.

It has been a long time coming. For 4 years, we suffered as a nation under the Biden administration's disastrous energy policies that put our energy security and the security of our allies at serious risk.

The White House launched a whole-of-government assault on American energy production: slow-rolling permits; killing infrastructure projects, like pipelines; and, most importantly, pandering to radical climate activists. Then they delivered perhaps the most damaging and egregious move of all: They banned new exports on LNG. This wasn't to help the environmental laws or to lower prices for American families. It was to satisfy the radical green activists.

Let me be clear that this ban put politics over people by jeopardizing the American economy and handing Vladimir Putin a lifeline as our European allies were forced to scramble for energy. That was not leadership. That was failure.

It gets worse. After independent experts uncovered major flaws in the study used to justify the freeze, the Biden administration doubled down, and senior officials deliberately hid reports that completely contradicted their argument.

The administration knew the truth, and they hid it. They buried it.

Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve the truth that exporting American LNG strengthens our country. U.S. LNG exports replace dirtier fuels from adversaries like Russia and Iran. In fact, during Biden's LNG export ban, Russia overtook the U.S. as the lead supplier of gas to Europe. In no world was this good for the American consumers or our allies.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that Republicans and Democrats have similar goals, but that is just not true. We had 4 years to study this. We had 4 years of evidence on this. Democrats want to kill hydrocarbons, plain and simple.

Republicans are moving to lower prices, and anybody who knows this industry, anybody who has studied this industry, and anybody who has been to where this industry happens, knows for certain that this is a good bill because they understand not just the economics of it, but they understand the long-term implications of this industry. If Members vote against it, they are telling me and the American people one thing: They haven't studied this industry.

Gas exports strengthen our economy. They stabilize prices, and they drive much-needed investment in energy infrastructure that bolsters our energy security.

The facts are clear: We must reform the broken approval process and unlock LNG's potential. My bill does exactly that. It eliminates the politicized DOE, which was weaponized by the previous administration, and gives FERC sole authority over that authorization process.

This is common sense. FERC already leads the review of LNG facilities under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act. It completes the environmental work. It completes the technical review. It completes the full analysis. We are cutting the red tape.

This is promises made, promises kept. The Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act removes that red tape and replaces it with a streamlined, transparent process that gives producers certainty, strengthening global energy security, and lowering the cost for all of our domestic consumers.

We have to depoliticize the export process. Once again, when the Biden administration banned LNG exports, they weaponized and they politicized that aspect, but today we have the opportunity to stand with American families and businesses and lower the cost and restore energy dominance.

This legislation should be an easy, bipartisan bill. If you support affordable, reliable energy, then this bill strengthens our economy. It lowers prices, and it signals that you have studied the industry and that you know your facts.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this and am proud to offer H.R. 1949.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1736, the Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act.

The mass adoption of artificial intelligence is the latest in a series of technological revolutions that have permeated and influenced every aspect of our lives. Today, we face a new reality: The same technologies driving innovation are now being weaponized against us by hostile actors.

Earlier this year, the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence held a hearing to consider the extent to which terrorist groups are using generative AI for recruitment and radicalization. We know now, without a doubt, that terrorist organizations have already integrated generative AI into their operations.

We found that groups, including ISIS and al-Qaida, are actively training in the use of artificial intelligence and using it to produce highly convincing propaganda, making it much easier for terrorist groups to recruit, radicalize, and carry out attacks on the U.S. homeland.

My bill requires DHS to conduct annual assessments on threats to the U.S. by terrorist organizations using generative AI. It also requires greater information sharing and coordination across the intelligence community to ensure that we have the clearest possible picture of AI- related terror threats.

This is an issue that requires us to be proactive and outmaneuver any group or individual seeking to do us harm with this emerging technology. The Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act ensures that our homeland security and capabilities remain ahead of adversary tactics.

Our response cannot be reactive. We must anticipate the future of terrorist methods and be prepared before these threats materialize.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill and hope to see the Senate take similar action in the very near future. Passing this bill will equip our national security agencies with the tools they need to adapt and defend against the threats of tomorrow today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Robert Wade Turner, who dedicated more than four decades of service to law enforcement in Coleman County, Texas.

Robert Wade Turner began his law enforcement career on August 1, 1975, in Coleman, Texas, with the Coleman County Sheriff's Office, where he faithfully served his community for his entire career. On November 5, 1988, he was elected Sheriff, a position he held with distinction until his retirement on January 1, 2017.

Over the course of 42 years in law enforcement, including 28 years as Sheriff, Robert embodied the highest standards of duty and honor. He was recognized as an honorably retired peace officer for the State of Texas.

Robert Wade Turner passed away on Sunday, September 28, 2025. He is survived by his wife, Linda Turner, his son, Joe Turner, and his daughter, Ami Polston.

Sheriff Turner leaves behind a legacy of selfless service, integrity, and dedication to the people of Coleman County. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing his decades of honorable service to Texas and to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 150th anniversary of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Lampasas, Texas.

Founded in 1873 during the turbulent years of Reconstruction, St. Mary's has stood as a steadfast place of worship and community for a century and a half. From its beginnings under the leadership of Dr. Thomas S. Denny and a small group of faithful families, the church persevered through frontier hardships, local feuds, floods, and economic trials. Over the years, it has grown into a vibrant congregation rooted in service, tradition, and faith.

The sanctuary itself, built of native limestone in the Victorian Gothic style, is a testament to the perseverance of its early leaders, including Capt. A.H. Barnes, Dr. James Bierbower, W.T. Campbell, T.H. Haynie, W.C. Price, and others whose dedication made possible the construction of a permanent church home. Generations of families, like the Campbells, the Haynies, the Richeys, the Olivers, and many more have sustained and enriched the life of St. Mary's across decades, ensuring its continued presence as a spiritual cornerstone of the Lampasas community.

Today, St. Mary's remains a thriving parish, carrying forward its mission with more than a dozen families whose membership stretches back multiple generations, while also welcoming new parishioners who bring fresh perspectives and energy. Together, this congregation embodies the resilience, stability, and continuity that have defined St. Mary's since its founding.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring St. Mary's Episcopal Church for 150 years of faithful service to its members, the people of Lampasas, and the greater Central Texas region. May the congregation continue to serve as a beacon of hope, light, and grace for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, during Roll Call Vote No. 279, on H.R. 1047, I inserted my vote card and due to a technical error, it appears that my vote was not recorded. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 279.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution honoring the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk.

Charlie was a man of God. He was a loving husband and a father and an unrelenting advocate for the Constitution, for American free speech, and for his Christian belief.

I had the honor of knowing Charlie, but also serving with Charlie on the Air Force Academy Board of Visitors. As we started our meeting, we talked about the love of country, and we talked about patriotism.

He asked a question. His question to the Air Force Academy was: Do you teach a course on American exceptionalism?

Do you teach a course on loving this country and on why it is the greatest country in the world?

He said that because these men and women who are about to graduate and be commissioned as officers in the Air and Space Force and who are willing to give their lives in the defense of this country should know why they love this country. They should know why this is the greatest country on Earth and why they are willing to die for it.

I thought it was an incredible question.

We toured the Air Force Academy chapel. I am going to challenge our Department of War and I am going to challenge our country to finish that chapel as a symbol of the spiritual aspect of this country.

I want to challenge everyone who hasn't watched Charlie's message about how this country was founded on Christian principles to watch that and to learn about the founding of this country and the spiritual roots.

It is important to finish that Air Force Academy chapel, having now been delayed for almost 8 or 9 years, so that we can get that spiritual aspect back into the lives of our military, our warfighters, and those who are graduating.

Charlie, we love you. Your legacy will stand firm in our minds, and I am absolutely convinced that your legacy will have a lasting effect on this country.