Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleagues in support of life and against the so-called Women's Health Protection Act, which would radically expand abortion nationwide through all 9 months of pregnancy.

Importantly, rather than protecting women and their children, it removes essential protections that are currently in place for both of them.

Here is what the bill does instead. It abolishes informed consent laws that ensure parental involvement in the decisions of their children. It abolishes laws that regulate the prescribing or dispensing of dangerous chemical abortion drugs.

Think about this for a minute. This bill would prohibit laws that actually protect women from the harms of a dangerous, do-it-yourself chemical abortion without seeing a doctor first. It abolishes laws that regulate or restrict abortions performed via telemedicine. It abolishes health and safety regulations for abortion clinics. It abolishes waiting period laws. It abolishes laws that prevent abortion prior to fetal viability, legislatively imposing the viability rule.

In addition, the bill would strip the rights of States to pass lifesaving regulations on abortion and also requires that new pro-life laws be approved by the Department of Justice before taking effect.

The radical nature of this bill goes so far as to make it impossible to protect unborn children who have been diagnosed with Down syndrome or other fetal anomaly diagnoses from selective abortions, as well as enabling sex-selection abortions. It denies basic science.

But here is what we do know. At 6 weeks, the unborn baby has a heartbeat of approximately 98 beats per minute. By 10 weeks, the unborn baby has arms and legs, fingers and toes, and is sucking his or her thumb. By 15 weeks, all of the unborn baby's major organs have formed. They can feel pain, and surgeries have been successfully performed on unborn babies at this age.

That is why I strongly oppose H.R. 3755. Since my first day in Congress, I have stood to protect life and be a voice for the defenseless, and I won't stop now.

Madam Speaker, almost exactly 8 months ago Joe Biden kicked off his presidency by signing an executive order that weakened our border security and promised a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants. These actions and his reversal of the previous administration's policies have directly led to the worst illegal immigration crisis the United States has faced in decades.

Since the President took office, at least 1.2 million illegal aliens have crossed our border and the numbers are getting worse.

His response? Continuing to double down on the current failed policy.

Just last month, nearly 209,000 illegal aliens were encountered crossing the border, which is a 317 percent increase from August 2020. On top of this, August marks the sixth straight month of illegal crossings, over 170,000 migrants.

The latest saga, more than 12,000 migrants living in makeshift encampments under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. This humanitarian, economic, and

health crisis must be addressed, and unfortunately, President Biden and his appointed border czar, Vice President Harris, have been missing in action.

For the sake of all involved, more must be done.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition today to the bloatedbus spending bill that is being jammed through the House this week by the majority.

Instead of working to craft bipartisan legislation, Democrats have put forward appropriations bills that are based on unrealistic and irresponsible spending levels and include partisan policy provisions that will only delay its final passage.

Further, rather than holding a vote on each individual appropriations bill, the Speaker has lumped together seven separate spending bills that include nearly $600 billion in discretionary spending, a 21 percent increase over just last year.

Twenty-one percent. That is almost as high as some of the price increases families in my district are seeing in their daily lives, thanks to the flood of deficit spending President Biden and Speaker Pelosi have forced through this Congress already.

This is not how the legislative process should work. And with inflation rates at a 13-year high, Madam Speaker, we simply cannot afford it.

And while this bill provides unprecedented increases for Democrats' domestic spending priorities, the left has decided to underfund two appropriations bills that are required by the Constitution: Homeland Security and National Defense. Worse yet, it reverses decades of historically bipartisan pro-life policies like the Hyde and Weldon amendments which have been bipartisan since 1976.

Further, it increases our dependence on China. It fails to keep us safe by hindering the work of Customs and Border Protection, and it abandons an all-of-the-above energy strategy. This is truly unacceptable.

Madam Speaker, this minibus needs to be sent back to the scrap yard, and if not, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Honoring Chief Joe Simmons

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 30-year career of one of Virginia's finest, Bridgewater Police Chief Joe Simmons.

Interestingly, this law enforcement veteran originally had aspirations of being a firefighter, but after being a dispatcher, jailer, and then a road deputy in the Rockingham County Sheriff's office, the SWAT team recruited him in 1996. By 1997, he joined the elite RUSH Drug Task Force, a mix of local and State officers, who I was proud to work with as an assistant Commonwealth's attorney, as well as Federal drug agents.

Simmons brought all this experience to the town of Bridgewater in the late 1990s, eventually rising to chief in 2011. Mayor Ted Flory said of Simmons: ``He's done an amazing job. . . . The model of community policing . . . serves the citizens very well.''

Chief Simmons says most police officers are good people who care about the citizens in their community. ``You have to have empathy. It's not us against them,'' Simmons said, ``You have to police with an open mind. It's customer service.''

In the end, while Simmons never became the firefighter he once wanted to be, he had a successful career in public service, risking his life to protect and serve his fellow citizens.

I thank Chief Simmons for his service.

Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding the time and the chair for her leadership as well. I am honored to be a new member of the Appropriations Committee, but I must oppose this appropriations bill.

I was disappointed by the party-line votes many of my colleagues took during committee markup against amendments that should have garnered bipartisan support.

I am most disheartened that the majority failed to keep decades-long, bipartisan provisions in this bill. Chief among those were the Hyde and the Weldon amendments.

Since Hyde was first included in 1976, it has saved nearly 2.5 million lives. Nearly 60 percent of Americans agree that taxpayer dollars should not be used to pay for abortions.

The Weldon amendment ensures that healthcare providers cannot be forced to provide abortion services, a protection that has been in place since 2005.

We should never force our healthcare workers to participate in abortion when they have taken an oath to heal and to do no harm.

While there was much in this bill I would like to support, the inclusion of these provisions is non-negotiable.

I will always stand to preserve the sanctity of life and to protect our healthcare providers from being forced to perform actions they find unconscionable.

The government has a duty to protect the inalienable right to life. Therefore, I cannot support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th anniversary of the Thomas-Fields Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7814, which was founded on July 11, 1946.

When African-American veterans of World War II returned to their homes in the Staunton-Augusta area, they were, unfortunately, excluded from their local VFW Post. Following their denied admittance, a group of 42 veterans then applied for a charter to organize their own post, which would carry the namesakes of Charles Thomas and Glenwood Fields, two African Americans from Staunton who died while serving their country in World War II.

Since its formation, the Thomas-Fields Post has been an active civic organization in the African-American community of Staunton and Augusta County, as well as playing an active and significant role in local area veterans' activities.

While the post welcomes all veterans, it continues to highlight the heritage of African-American and minority veterans who have served our Nation.

Recently, Post 7814 was recognized as a Meritorious Post by the State VFW Federation for its outstanding work over the last 5 years and was also named an All-American Post by the National VFW Council for the first time in its history.

The Thomas-Fields VFW Post is to be commended for its work in our community and their efforts to aid those who served. I congratulate them on this historic milestone and wish them another successful 75 years.

Support the People of Cuba

Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my support for the Cuban people who have taken to the streets to protest the oppressive Communist regime there, a regime that has stripped them of their basic human rights.

Since its inception 62 years ago, the Communist Party has caused immeasurable harm and created unbearable conditions in Cuba.

Cuba's people want freedom. They want to provide for their families and know that their kids will be safe and healthy--and Cuba is not that place, and it hasn't been that place for far too long.

Right now, its people are facing widespread power outages, the most severe food shortage since the 1990s and inflation rates nearing 500 percent.

In an effort to contain the truth about what is really going on, the government cut off its citizens' access to the internet to silence the dissent.

Instead of trying to address the issues plaguing the island nation, they have, instead, decided to suppress those voicing concern. Since the protest began, more than 100 people have been detained or have gone missing, including artists, peace activists, and priests. It should be no surprise that Cubans are marching in the streets demanding their rights.

We have all seen the images of people waving American flags and fleeing in makeshift boats overflowing with folks willing to risk their lives to experience freedom. They want what we are so blessed to have, and, yet, there is a segment of our society bent on pushing the United States toward the failed notion of communism and socialism. It is mind- boggling.

We must stand strongly for freedom, stand firmly with the people, and stand boldly with a free Cuba.

Madam Speaker, rather than working across the aisle to advance a bipartisan highway bill, as they are attempting to do in the Senate, House Democrats have jammed a partisan bill through to the floor that puts America on a road to nowhere.

This bill is nothing but a partisan wish list that prioritizes the Green New Deal agenda over the core needs of our Nation's infrastructure, like roads and bridges. In fact, the bill before us would actually prevent the building of new roads, ripping away the ability of States to prioritize the needs of local communities.

I was sent to Washington to ensure our government is transparent and accountable for every action it takes. Spending $1 out of every $2 to comply with Green New Deal mandates is absolutely ludicrous.

I will not accept a deal that puts big cities and Big Government over the interests of the American taxpayers who I represent in rural America.

We are willing and open to negotiating realistic ways to rebuild our highways and infrastructure, but it must be done in a fiscally responsible manner and not through deficit spending.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this misguided piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, there is no denying that Congress must take action to improve our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. But, sadly, bipartisan negotiations have hit a roadblock, and the infrastructure legislation on the floor this week is a go-at-it-alone, my-way-or-the- highway bill.

Instead of focusing on traditional infrastructure, Democrats have chosen to prioritize the left's Green New Deal agenda. This bill includes an estimated $276 billion for Green New Deal-related mandates, requirements, and programs. To put that into perspective, $1 out of every $2 spent by this legislation is tied up in Green New Deal goals.

Further, this bill reduces flexibility for States to meet their own unique infrastructure needs and fails to streamline major project reviews, which typically face a 6-year delay. To make matters worse, the spending increases proposed in this bill rely heavily on more deficit spending. There are no pay-fors, which will only further fuel inflation and increase the cost of goods like gas and food.

We need commonsense solutions that truly work to improve our roads, bridges, railways, and rural broadband. I am pleased to hear that there are bipartisan negotiations underway to achieve these goals, but this bill this week veers off the road and into a partisan ditch.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' later this week on H.R. 3684.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life and legacy of Anne Seaton, who went to be with the Lord on April 23, 2021.

Anne was a pillar of the Sixth District of Virginia, but her light shone well beyond the valley.

Charitable at heart, Anne and the Mehnert family served as missionaries in Jamaica and hosted refugees from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to help provide comfort and aid to those afflicted.

In the valley, Anne was a passionate supporter of Grace Christian School and Wilson High School, as well as one who helped fundraise for the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra.

Further, Anne was active in local politics, including the successful campaign of her husband Scott to the Augusta County Board of Supervisors.

Anne was the founder of the Republican Women of Greater Augusta and inspired many to get involved in the community.

Above all, though, it was Anne's family and her faith that defined her. A loving wife to Scott, mother to Joscelyn Hodge and her husband Christopher, Phillip, Samuel, and Daniel, friend and daughter, Anne was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and was a member of Tabernacle Presbyterian Church.

Anne has a grandchild due in December.

Anne not only believed in her faith, but she lived it as exemplified through her life's work.

Living through our faith is a lesson we can all learn from the late great Anne Seaton.

Anne is greatly missed and will not soon be forgotten.

Recognizing Amherst County High School Girls Softball Team

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Amherst County High School girls softball team for winning this year's Class 4 State Championship.

It was a defensive game all around, and Amherst County's pitcher, Dylan McNerney, kept the Lancers in it with an incredible performance, striking out 10 batters.

With the game tied at zero at the end of regulation, it took extra innings for the Lancers to pull off a victory against the Hanover Hawks.

Before the final inning began, head coach Samantha Thacker told the team: ``This is our time, this is our inning, we have got to stay settled and be patient,'' and they did just that.

In the top of the eighth, two errors by the Hawks put runners on base for Amherst County with one out.

When Kayleigh Combs stepped up to bat, she put the ball into play, and an overthrow allowed Cheyenne Wall to race home from third giving the Lancers a one to nothing lead. Soon after, a wild pitch brought Maegan Lloyd home adding another run to the board.

With a two to nothing lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, the Lancers were able to keep the Hawks scoreless, securing the team's first ever State softball title.

Congratulations to the players and coaches on a great season, they have earned it.

Madam Speaker, despite our Nation sitting on the edge of a fiscal cliff, the Biden administration continues to propose trillions upon trillions of dollars in new taxpayer spending.

Sadly, yet not unexpectedly, the American people are beginning to see the consequences of taking their hard-earned tax dollars for continued and unprecedented levels of deficit spending.

The Consumer Price Index has increased 5 percent from this time last year, which marks the fastest rate of inflation since right before the economic crisis in 2008 and a nearly 13-year high. This is in addition to producer prices rising 6.6 percent over the past year, the fastest increase on record.

I don't care what the reasons are; I know that Americans are feeling it right now in their pocketbooks. Rising inflation at this rate is the same thing as a tax, and American consumers are feeling it as they shop for the essentials.

Gasoline is 56 percent more expensive today than it was 12 months ago. Transportation services are up 11 percent since last year. Together, food and energy prices have increased 3.8 percent, which is the fastest rate since 1992.

Middle-class families are paying the price for the lack of fiscal responsibility shown by this administration.

It is time to get our fiscal house in order to ensure our children and our children's children are left a thriving economy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Heritage High School girls track and field team in Lynchburg, Virginia, for winning their second consecutive Virginia Class 3 State championship. The Heritage Pioneers racked up 74 points at the title meet with only five girls.

Star student athlete junior, Alaysia Oakes said: ``Our coach always calls us the SEAL team. We go into states with five people, and it was definitely a tough battle,'' she continued, ``but everybody did what they needed to do. Just stayed strong. We knew it was going to be a battle, but we didn't back down, so I'm proud of us.''

Oakes captured three events, and seniors Tya Blake, Kaelynn Hawkins, Graysen Arnold, and Jalasia Jones helped the Pioneer's pour on the points.

Oakes came away as the individual State champion in the triple jump, long jump, and 100-meter dash, while placing second in the 200-meter and 400-meter dash; all making for a tremendous showing from the junior phenom.

This team is a shining example of hard work paying off. Congratulations to the athletes and coaches on an incredible season. We look forward to seeing what the future has in store for this talented group.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the Grace Christian School Warriors baseball team for their come-from-behind victory in this year's Virginia Association of Christian Athletics State championship.

Down to the last 12 outs, the Warriors trailed 4-0. But thanks to some timely hits, their comeback started as they were able to put one run on the board in the fourth.

In the bottom of the fifth, things really started turning in Grace Christian's favor. A few hits, some heads-up base running, and costly errors made by their opponents gave the Warriors a 5-4 lead.

However, the lead didn't last long, as the Bulldogs from Westover Christian Academy scored two in the top of the sixth. But the Warriors battled back, tying the game in the bottom half of the inning.

Grace Christian's MVP pitcher, Isaiah Riddle, mastered Westover hitters in the top of the seventh, meaning it all came down to the Warriors' bats.

First baseman Justin Hain led off with a base hit, then stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch. With another wild pitch, Hain sprinted home and secured Grace Christian the title.

Truly, it ain't over till it's over.

Congratulations to the players, coaches, parents, and staff on an incredible season and a well-deserved win.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my unwavering support for the United States' greatest ally in the Middle East and the region's only democracy, Israel.

When I visited the region, I saw firsthand the proximity of the danger Israelis face on a daily basis.

With the Gaza Strip controlled by the Iranian-funded terror group Hamas, rockets are always pointing at the Jewish state. It is estimated that the militant group has more than 30,000 rockets and mortars at their disposal.

For the past week, Israel and its people have been bombarded by more than 3,000 rockets launched from within Gaza. Thank goodness for the Iron Dome, which, despite being overwhelmed, saved countless lives.

While some on the other side of the aisle and in the media attempt to draw a moral parallel between Hamas and Israel, there is simply no comparison to be made.

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: ``You cannot equate a democracy that values life with a terror organization that glorifies death.''

Israel has an absolute right to defend itself, and while they make every effort to keep Palestinian civilians from harm, Hamas continues to intentionally target population centers, seeking death and destruction.

Hamas is not interested in peace. They are not interested in working toward a lasting solution. Their only objective is to eliminate the Jewish state.

Why some would choose to back Hamas despite its atrocious human rights record is beyond me. Why back a regime that stifles free speech, prosecutes and assaults the press, treats women as second-class citizens, and has laws on the books that condemn its own citizens to death simply for selling land to a Jewish person?

Madam Speaker, it is mind-boggling.

I stand with Israel, and in doing so, I stand for peace.

Congratulating Grace Christian Golf Team

Madam Speaker, author and avid golf fan P.G. Wodehouse once remarked: Golf ``is the infallible test. The man who can go into a patch of rough alone, with the knowledge that only God is watching him, and play his ball where it lies is the man who will serve you faithfully and well.''

Fittingly, I rise today to recognize Grace Christian School of Staunton, whose golf team won its first Virginia Association of Christian Athletics State championship.

The Warriors shot an 18-hole total of 355 in the championship tournament at the Club at Ironwood to overcome its closest competitor by 32 strokes.

Caleb Maas led the Warriors with an impressive 86, while Preston Fitzgerald and Maddie Helmick each shot a pair of 87s, with Isaiah Farlow carding a 95.

Maas, Fitzgerald, and Helmick were also named to the all-State team for their performances throughout the season.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate the athletes, coaches, and staff on an excellent season. I wish them all the best of luck moving forward. And keep hitting them straight.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of Roanoke native and World War II Navy veteran Suttie Economy, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 95.

While Economy was proud of his service and the time he spent on the USS English in the South Pacific, he never forgot his fellow veterans who didn't make it home. Economy made it his life's mission to honor soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who gave their lives for the cause of American freedom.

Known for his efforts to maintain the Roanoke War Memorial, driving around town in his red, white, and blue Yugo, and handing out Juicy Fruit gum, Economy made an impression whenever he went.

In 2008, he said one of his proudest moments was having marble flower vases added to the Star City's war memorial after years of lobbying, urging folks to: ``Never forget those veterans.''

His daughter said his work was never about him, but rather, it was always about the veterans who served and gave their lives.

With traffic stopped, a police officer standing at attention, and members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association serving as pallbearers, Economy was laid to rest with the respect he deserved.

Fair winds and following seas, Suttie.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Riverheads High School football team of Augusta County, Virginia, who recently won the Commonwealth's class 1 State football champion.

After a close first quarter, the Gladiators scored 34 points in the second quarter, propelling them to a resounding 65-29 victory or the Galax Maroon Tide.

Riverheads has now won a notable five consecutive State titles. Senior running back Zac Smiley, who led the team with 121 rushing yards, said: ``It almost feels normal, but it's not.''

The Riverheads' running game had been strong all season, which allowed the Gladiators to catch the Maroon Tide off guard with an impressive three passing touchdowns, culminating in an all-around unstoppable offense.

When asked what the pressure was like to win again, Head Coach Robert Casto said: ``We didn't get caught up in all of that stuff.'' He said their victory ``was just a byproduct of the hard work these kids have put in.''

Indeed, every State championship is earned, not given, and this squad certainly earned it.

Congratulations to the players, coaches, and staff on their remarkable accomplishment.

Madam Speaker, there is no denying that we need to support an all-of-the-above solution for energy policy to secure our energy independence. But the Green New Deal which was recently introduced, yet again, seeks to fundamentally change our way of life, cripple American businesses, and explode our national debt--$93 trillion, with a T, which is how much their proposal will cost over the next 10 years.

Let's put that into perspective. $93 trillion is more money than the Federal Government has spent for the entire period from 1979 until the present. Madam Speaker, that is absurd. Worse yet, how do the Democrats propose that we pay for it? By raising the taxes, of course, up to 70 percent. This is outrageous.

It crushes jobs, costs an average American household nearly $700,000 through 2029, provides paychecks for people unwilling to work, abolishes airplanes, cows, and fossil fuels, and would require rebuilding and retrofitting every building in America. This is a crazy policy.