Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an incredible achievement in youth sports. The Amherst All Star Darlings, a girls' youth softball team of 7- and 8-year-olds, just finished their season undefeated.

After winning both the district and State championships, they have set their eyes on Cochran-Bleckley, Georgia, where the girls' softball world series will be played later this month.

These young ladies worked hard and enjoyed the competition, and their determination to win throughout the length of their season has been unmatched.

Now, they are planning and working toward making their trip to Georgia possible to get the chance to make this Cinderella story a reality.

Their efforts are a story of camaraderie, hard work, and laying the foundation for a bright future not only in sports but in all of their future endeavors.

Amherst has been a special part of the Sixth District for decades, and it has been an honor to represent the people of Amherst, first in Richmond and now in Washington. The Sixth District, along with the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, will be cheering them on when they compete on July 31 in the Dixie youth softball league world series.

Congratulations to the Amherst All Star Darlings for representing friends and family, the Amherst community, and the entire Commonwealth of Virginia so well.

Mr. Chair, it is with sadness that I come to the floor to speak against this measure.

We had opportunities in the Appropriations Committee to work across the aisle to address the concerns of the minority and to fund the priorities of this country and its people. Unfortunately, with a 40- year high in inflation, CPI rising to 9.1 percent in June, $30 trillion in debt, and the CBO recently predicting $1.6 trillion in deficits over the next decade, business as usual can no longer be contemplated.

We must take action to secure the financial stability of this country for the future, for our children, for their children, and for future generations. We have to return to fiscal sanity through these appropriations bills to rein in inflation and rescue this economy.

Transportation-Housing and Urban Development has an increase of more than 12 percent; Agriculture an increase of 8 percent; Financial Services and General Government an increase of 17 percent over FY22; Interior, 18 percent increase; MILCON, more than 10 percent above 2022.

All of these bills contain important priorities, but they also contain excessive amounts of waste and liberal priorities that are not in keeping with the priorities of the American people, so I urge their defeat.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for her hard work in trying to get our priorities considered.

I look forward to continuing to work to ensure that fiscal responsibility is the watchword of the day and that the American people have their tax dollars looked after by the Appropriations Committee.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time.

``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'' Life.

Abortion is a termination of that life and a grave human rights abuse, and it must end. No one has the right to end the life of an innocent human being. The government has a duty to protect that right to life.

Since 1973, more than 63 million unborn babies have had their lives cut short. That is a tragedy and simply unacceptable, and I stand here for the sake of millions of children, for the sake of the integrity of our Nation.

Let's follow the science. Preborn humans are, in fact, humans and deserving of life. But, unfortunately, the pro-abortion left has decided that ``human'' doesn't automatically grant that right and that humans should only be accorded human rights depending on their location, level of dependency, or size.

That mindset is a travesty, and the practice of abortion will go down in history as a great stain on this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, skyrocketing prices are eating away at family budgets across the country; 8.3 percent, 8.6 percent, and now 9.1 percent--those were the inflation rates for April, May, and June of this year. Year over year, energy prices are up 34 percent; gas, 48 percent; fuel oil, 106 percent; electricity, 12 percent; meat, poultry, and eggs, 14 percent.

But worse is the majority's answer: Double down on Build Back Better and a tax-and-spend agenda that raises taxes on local businesses and farmers as our country enters a recession.

While targeted stimulus during the COVID pandemic may have been appropriate, the plodding reaction of the Federal Reserve, combined with the typical reaction of the Democratic majority to spend trillions on Green New Deal projects and blue State bailouts, have caused paychecks to shrink and a lack of faith in the economic future of Americans to rise.

Inflation is a tax on all of us. This 40-year high inflation rate is a wake-up call to return to fiscal sanity. Unfortunately, no one needs a crystal ball to see that my friends on the other side of the aisle are busy hitting the snooze button once again on addressing this inflation crisis.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County

for winning the 2022 Quality Award at their national conference.

Big Brothers Big Sisters aims to connect mentors, or ``bigs,'' with local youth, known as ``littles.''

This prestigious Quality Award is granted to only a third of chapters in the country. To achieve it, the chapter must succeed in having 73 percent of mentors meet with a youth member for a whole year. Additionally, 54 percent of participants must meet with their ``littles'' at school for that year.

The Harrisburg-Rockingham chapter knocked that standard out of the park, reporting a 70 to 80 percent meeting success rate.

According to Lindsay Douglas, the executive director of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham chapter, the reason for the chapter's superb performance is strong communication between the mentors, children, and their parents.

It is community organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters that foster an environment where our youth can thrive.

Congratulations, again, to the Harrisburg-Rockingham chapter.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in defense of our Constitution today, in defense of law- abiding American citizens, and against this Senate gun control bill.

This legislation takes the wrong approach in attempting to curb violent crimes. It turns our system of due process on its head. You will now be found guilty and your guns taken away until you can prove your innocence.

It has vague language containing insufficient guardrails to keep guns out of the hands of criminals or prevent mass violence.

It creates a de facto waiting period for up to 10 business days for legal, law-abiding citizens' firearm purchases and the consideration of whether an adult purchaser's juvenile record should prohibit an individual from buying a firearm.

We are committed to identifying and solving the causes of violent crimes and mental health crises, putting officers in our schools, and reinforcing our school buildings, but we must not infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens while doing so.

I cannot support this misguided legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Liberty Christian Academy Bulldogs on winning the VHSL baseball Class 3 State title game.

The academy was founded in 1967, and in addition to its academic and biblical teachings, the school excels in sports. Their baseball State title this year marked their second State crown, as they won the 4A State title in 2017.

This game all came down to the seventh inning at the field in Spotsylvania, Virginia. Their opponent, the Abingdon Falcons, had taken the lead in the top of the seventh when Lane Duff of the academy walked three straight batters, sending home Cole Lambert for the go-ahead run.

The Falcons scored again on a bases-loaded walk to Jack Ferguson that scored Daniel Fellhauer and made it 5 to 3.

Yet, when the Bulldogs got their chance in the bottom of the seventh, they started a rally as Logan Duff led off with a triple. Then a sac fly by Tanner Thomas scored Duff to cut the Abingdon Falcons' lead to 5 to 4.

Finally, Lane Duff's two-run, walk-off single marked a three-run Liberty Christian Academy rally that propelled the Bulldogs to a 6 to 5 win last Saturday in the coveted VHSL Class 3 State title game.

Congratulations to the players, coaches, and parents on a great season.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the chilling state of the American economy. The stock market is tanking. The American people know what a disaster President Biden and the majority's economic policies have been, and they are acting accordingly and expressing the lowest consumer confidence in a record 50 years of data.

Pumping trillions in spending through this body, including the so- called American Rescue Plan, has, in large part, caused a 40-year high in inflation as the CPI rose to 8.6 percent in May.

The Nation is $30 trillion in debt, and the CBO predicts $1.6 trillion in deficits over the next decade. The Federal Reserve will be forced to continue to raise interest rates, further exacerbating the beleaguered economy.

Gas prices are at $5 a gallon, due to the President's assaults on American oil drilling and fracking and domestic energy exploration, and the Green New Deal priorities of the majority and this administration are exacerbating the energy crisis.

As The Wall Street Journal recently asked: Has anyone, other than unsuccessful green energy subsidy firms, benefited from the Biden economy?

What is more, the President's $5.8 trillion tax-and-spend budget is fiscally irresponsible. Biden's budget cuts $428 million in Customs and Border Protection's budget in the midst of a border crisis.

It skyrockets Federal spending by a third, compared to prepandemic levels, calls for $2.5 trillion in tax hikes, and sets this country on a course of extended fiscal doom at a time when we are currently on the precipice of a recession.

The American economy cannot sustain a Federal Government that is

vacuuming tax dollars out of the pockets of the private sector at a record pace.

Still, today, the majority will not even propose a budget, much less one that achieves balance, and instead, funds the government and inflates the currency through massive omnibus bills and continuing resolutions.

We need to return to regular order in this House and return to fiscal sanity to rescue this economy from a recession that looms large in what is likely to be a long, hot summer for millions of American families.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate retired Army Master Sergeant Silverine James on the naming of the Salem VA Medical Center's Women's Health Clinic in her honor.

Allowed to enlist by her mother, James joined the Army in 1949 and, after leaving in 1951, she eventually returned to the service in 1953 as an administrative specialist at the New York Point of Embarkation.

Though the Army was still segregated at the time of her rejoining, Mrs. James was given an assignment that would help lead to the integration of her company and later was a trailblazer while serving at Camp Zama in Japan as the only African American in the Judge Advocate General section of the Far East Command.

By the time she retired in 1973, Master Sergeant James had completed 22 years of service. Taking a well-deserved year off after retirement, James began a job at the Salem VA, where she spent nearly 5 years before taking a job with FEMA.

In an article chronicling her life, Master Sergeant James said simply, ``I gave my country the best part of my life.''

It was great to be with Mrs. James last week to name the center in her honor. She surely did give the VA the best part of her life and her country the best part of her life.

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor.

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

I rise in opposition to the so-called Protecting Our Kids Act. What we saw 2 weeks ago in Uvalde, Texas, was tragic and horrific, and we should take action to prevent future tragedies such as this one, but this bill is not the solution for several reasons.

First, the bill restricts the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding adults. With very limited exceptions, the bill would prohibit 18- to 20-year-olds from buying nearly all semiautomatic rifles and shotguns.

During the markup of this bill, the Judiciary Committee chairman argued that this is applicable because these young adults don't have fully formed brains. Yet, we entrust these same young adults to serve our country in the military and die for our country. We trust these young adults to vote in our elections.

What is even more interesting is while Democrats believe that these young adults don't have fully formed brains, they certainly are more than willing to try to reduce the age at which a person can vote to 16.

Second, the bill makes it more difficult for a domestic violence victim to keep a firearm for protection. As drafted, the bill would criminalize a domestic violence victim's attempt to seek help from a friend or neighbor in obtaining a firearm.

The safe storage requirements of the bill make it harder for people to access a firearm in an emergency by mandating a one-size-fits-all approach for firearm storage.

Finally, the bill's limits on magazine capacity will essentially ban many common firearms, some of which may accommodate between 15 and 30 rounds of ammunition.

Overall, this bill is an attempt to restrict the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens while ignoring the broader problems of why these tragedies are happening.

Let's talk about school resource officers in our schools. Let's talk about fortifying school buildings. Let's talk about ending the dangerous mirage of gun-free zones. And yes, let's talk about mental health.

We have to look for commonsense solutions that make it easier for Americans to protect themselves and their loved ones. I oppose this bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize The Roanoker Restaurant, an establishment so iconic it carries its city's namesake.

Opened in 1941 by Craft Warren, this Roanoke staple has served as a gathering place for generations. For nearly 81 years, The Roanoker provided folks across the Star City a place to come together over a delicious, home-cooked meal.

Its current owner, Butch Craft, began working at the restaurant more than 52 years ago before eventually taking over the business.

Over the course of its storied history, the restaurant has moved throughout Roanoke before making its way to its current and, unfortunately, final home on Colonial Avenue in 1982.

This week, the entire Star City was saddened to learn that, after more than eight decades in business, The Roanoker will be closing its doors at the end of the month.

One resident said it best: It is going to be greatly missed, no doubt about it. It is going to be so missed.

It certainly will be, and I will take a moment to thank the Warren family, Butch Craft, and everyone who has worked at The Roanoker and made it such a success and made diners feel at home for so many years.

Madam Speaker, I missed a vote. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 168.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Palazzo for hosting this Special Order this evening and recognizing the tremendous service and sacrifice of the brave men and women of the National Guard and the Reserve components of our Armed Forces. I also thank the gentleman for his service in the Mississippi Guard.

It is also certainly fitting to honor these often unsung heroes as we celebrate Military Appreciation Month.

While the National Guard was founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636, the Virginia National Guard traces its history and tradition of citizen-soldier service to the founding of Jamestown in 1607. There has been a military presence defending Virginia ever since.

The Virginia National Guard's current strength is 7,200 soldiers, 1,200 airmen, 300 Virginia Defense Force members, and 400 Federal and State civilians. They bring more than $250 million in annual income into the Commonwealth.

The Virginia National Guard currently has more than 2,000 personnel serving on Federal Active Duty with units conducting missions in the United States, Middle East, the Horn of Africa, and Kosovo, the most since 2007. The 29th Infantry Division has the most divisional soldiers on Federal duty since World War II, with units deployed from Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland.

Currently, Virginia Air National Guard pilots and maintainers assigned to the 192nd Wing from Joint Base Langley-Eustis are currently supporting the 1st Fighter Wing's deployment at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, to provide short-notice air superiority to U.S. Central Command amid a series of recent attacks in the region.

Approximately 120 Virginia National Guard soldiers assigned to the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Headquarters are on Federal Active Duty to take responsibility for the NATO-led Kosovo Force Regional Command-East, and approximately 140 soldiers assigned to the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division are mobilized to serve as their aviation task force. NATO KFOR troops conduct peace support operations, contributing to a safe and secure environment for all the people in Kosovo while healthy political dialogue continues between Kosovo and Serbia.

Approximately 300 National Guard soldiers assigned to the Norfolk- based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are on Federal Active Duty conducting training to provide personnel and site protection using the Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar System, or C-RAM, in the Central Command area of operations in the Middle East.

Approximately 1,000 Virginia and Kentucky National Guard soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are on Federal Active Duty as Task Force Red Dragon as a security force in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

Approximately 80 soldiers assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 329th Regional Support Group are currently on Federal Active Duty in the Central Command Area of Operations under the operational control of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve serving as the base operating support-integrator for multiple installations.

Finally, approximately 500 Virginia and Maryland National Guard soldiers assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 29th

Infantry Division are currently on Federal Active Duty in the Central Command Area of Operations as Task Force Spartan to provide leadership, command, control, and in-depth staff analysis for Operation Spartan Shield.

As we celebrate Military Appreciation Month, let us never forget those who are serving and who have given their last full measure while wearing our Nation's uniform, those who are still on the front lines in places both known and unknown, and the families who are asked to carry the burden while their loved ones are away.

May God continue to bless our troops and the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, I missed a vote.

Had I been present, I would have voted yea on Roll Call No. 127.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life and legacy of a good friend and Rockbridge County resident, Bobby Berkstresser, who recently passed away at the age of 71.

Bobby was truly a kind soul who had a passion for both people and business. In 1981, he purchased his first business, Lee Hi Travel Plaza, in Lexington. At the time, he had only eight employees on payroll, but over the years he grew it exponentially and was able to expand.

When Bobby passed, he employed more than 400 people, and his second business, White's Travel Center in Raphine was the largest east of the Mississippi, a fact of which he was definitely proud.

He brought honor and pride to the job and, in 2018, he was honored with the NATSO Hall of Fame Award for his contributions to the industry.

His employees say, ``He was not only your boss, he encouraged you, and he was family to a lot of people.'' That was certainly how everyone felt about Bobby Berkstresser.

Aside from owning White's and Lee Hi, Bobby was deeply committed to his community. He regularly contributed to local nonprofits, in addition to serving on several boards, including the Bank of Botetourt, Rockbridge YMCA, Rockbridge United Way, Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors, former Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital, RALS, Rockbridge Republican Committee, and NATSO.

Madam Speaker, it goes without saying that Rockbridge County lost a giant. His passing will be felt by this community for quite some time, and my thoughts and prayers remain with his wife, Sue, and his beloved family.

Rejecting the Biden Budget

Madam Speaker, as Americans face the worst rate of inflation in 41 years, President Biden's proposed budget does nothing to help ease the burden on our country's struggling families.

Despite experts predicting that a recession is coming, the President's proposed budget would further exacerbate high inflation by spending $73 trillion over the next decade and would be funded by the highest sustained tax burden in our Nation's history.

As Americans pay record prices at the pump, this budget proposal prioritizes radical Green New Deal energy policies and continues Biden's destruction of American energy independence with increased taxes on the oil and gas industry.

Who is going to feel those increased taxes? Working men and women in the Sixth District of Virginia and across this country. Further, it pushes unnecessary and already rejected Build Back Better social programs and provides benefits to illegal aliens, which is entirely unacceptable.

For my constituents in the Sixth District, I will continue to hold Biden administration officials accountable and demand justifications for this spending spree that is this budget when they come before the committees on which I serve.

Madam Speaker, I stand in strong opposition to the President's proposal, and I urge its rejection should it come before this House.