Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Edward Reyes of Carrollton, TX who served in the U.S. Army and served as an infantryman in Vietnam.

Last weekend, I had the honor of awarding Edward the 2021 Congressional Veteran Commendation. We honor him for his courage and bravery when entering the Army in June 1969 and being honorably discharged in May 1971.

Since then, Edward has made a great impact on his community by serving as the President of Vietnam Veterans of America Dallas Chapter, working in law enforcement, serving on the Executive Board of Directors of the American Legion Post 453, and serving in various other organizations.

Edward has always put others first and continues to make a lasting impact on the lives around him. It is an honor to recognize the distinguished veterans of TX 24, like Edward, and to preserve their stories for future generations of Americans through the Congressional Veteran Commendation. I thank Edward for his service and the sacrifices he made to protect our great nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize James Vitton of Dallas, TX who served in the U.S. Navy and completed over 4,600 military flight hours.

Over the weekend, I had the honor of awarding James the 2021 Congressional Veteran Commendation. Captain Vitton was commissioned in 1984, and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1986.

James courageously flew 341 combat hours during the Iran/Iraq War and served as the Flight Engineer Division Officer, Aircraft Division and Assistant Operations Officer.

Among many of his positions during his Operational Level of Warfare tenure, Vitton

planned and trained in over 30 major joint/combined operational exercises, including career highlight, Operation TOMODACHI: Maritime Operations Center Director of Japan's relief efforts following the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

It is an honor to recognize the distinguished veterans of TX 24 and to preserve their stories for future generations of Americans through the Congressional Veteran Commendation. I thank James for his service and the sacrifices he made to protect our great nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of three TX 24 high schools: Colleyville Heritage High School, Keller High School and Carroll High School and their band directors Gary Barnard, Mark McGahey and Ken Johnson. These three high school marching bands have excelled, in showmanship and technical ability this year. Last weekend, they advanced to the state championship, which will be held over the next two weeks.

I thank our students for representing North Texas, and their dedication and years of hard work. I also thank their band directors who spend their careers teaching and enriching the lives of students. I wish them the best in their upcoming performance and congratulate them on all of their hard work paying off.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Divyesh K. Patel, an entrepreneur from Irving, Texas who was recently awarded the Presidential E-Star Award and E-Award for Excellence.

Mr. Patel and Bespoke Group LLC are recognized for their outstanding contribution to the U.S. economy, growers, and work on the ``From U.S. Farms to World Market Program.''

Mr. Patel hails from a distinguished family with a great track record of contributing in many areas. His father, Kanchanbhai M. Patel, has been awarded the Glory of Gujarat, India award which demonstrates their deep commitment to the community in making a great difference from the individual to national level.

Mr. Patel also had a great impact on small businesses and agricultural farming. Both strengthen our economy, create valuable jobs, and provide for communities across the nation.

I thank Mr. Patel for his entrepreneurial spirit and contributions to international trade in Texas-24. We are grateful for the impact he has made on our community.

Madam Speaker, if we adopt the motion to recommit, we will instruct the Committee on Education and Labor to consider an amendment to exempt certain industries with unique workplace environments from the requirements in the underlying bill.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 3110 imposes one-size-fits-all nursing accommodation requirements on different kinds of work environments, including those found in the airline, shipping, and agriculture industries.

As a mother of two who nursed both children while working, I understand the importance of having these accommodations in the workplace.

Under current law, the Fair Labor Standards Act provides hourly employees with access to accommodations while providing for certain industry and job specific exemptions. This approach includes special protections to include the smallest of farms, which are not proportionally impacted by regulatory mandates such as the one we are debating today.

The mandate in H.R. 3110 would impose the same requirements on all 143 million employees covered under the FLSA. This would impose substantial compliance challenges and introduce safety concerns based on the nature of business operations in certain settings. For example, this would fail to account for the unique working conditions found in the aviation industry.

H.R. 3110 requires that airline employees, who are currently exempt from FLSA breastfeeding accommodation requirements, have access to a space for pumping breast milk. This is despite the fact that aircraft designs are regulated by the FAA for safety and reliability purposes with limited ability to add additional private spaces.

Modification of aircraft space would be prohibitively expensive and require the removal of airline seats. This requirement is even more challenging for smaller planes with fewer passenger seats that service regional airports.

Additionally, pilot and flight attendant duties are heavily regulated by the FAA with few redundancies in duties among staff, complicating the ability of aviation businesses to maintain appropriate staffing levels and access to services when faced with inflexible government- mandated breaks.

Democrats acknowledged this problem in their manager's amendment to H.R. 3110 but failed to mitigate the negative impacts the bill would have on critical passenger safety and security functions, both on the ground and during flight.

Because workplaces are not one-size-fits-all, it is critical that any legislation in this area preserves flexibility for airline, shipping, and small farm employers to work with their employees to develop best practices in meeting individual workplace needs.

Sweeping and overly prescriptive requirements that do not adequately address both the workplace environment and workplace needs will not lead to the best results for working mothers.

Nursing mother accommodations should be encouraged, and the ongoing efforts of businessowners to ensure access for their workers are to be applauded and supported.

I am going to offer this motion to recommit to ensure certain businesses have the flexibility to be able to develop nursing accommodations that meet the needs of their employees while accounting for unique working environments.

Madam Speaker, I urge the adoption of this motion to recommit.

Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

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

Madam Speaker, it is an honor to include in the Record, the heartwarming story of Officer Rory Babineaux. A 16-year veteran of the Farmers Branch Police Department, Officer Baineaux was dispatched to a welfare concern call from the neighbor of an eighty- year-old resident concerned about the lady's health and safety.

When Officer Babineaux arrived on the scene to find although she was in good health, her air conditioner and plumbing were not working. Instead of passing the case off to others, he took it upon himself to contact local businesses like Right Choice Heating and Air and Metro North Plumbing, who found it in their hearts to waive all costs.

This story not only speaks volumes for the type of community Farmers Branch is, but more importantly the dedication Officer Babineaux has put into the people he has served over the last 16 years. I thank Officer Babineaux, his actions inspire me to serve TX-24 as he has.

Mr. Speaker, while my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are singularly focused on the happenings only within the walls of Capitol Hill, the rest of us, working families, are struggling with the consequences of this failed administration, including rising inflation; pending unemployment; border threats; increased drugs and violence in our neighborhoods; and an out-of-control, power-hungry administration.

I cannot explain the chairman's and majority leader's absolute and unhealthy obsession with a former President, but I sincerely urge them to seek treatment so that they can focus on the insurmountable harms that are being caused by the current administration and how they are currently forcing them on all of the American people.

I rise in opposition to the previous question so that the House can immediately consider H.R. 5586, legislation critical to stopping the Democrats' unending attempts to control every aspect of American lives.

Now the left is in an unrelenting pursuit of tracking every penny you and your family personally earn and spend. If the price tag for their socialist policies weren't alarming enough, what is hidden inside the bill should truly horrify all Americans.

If you pay rent, if you buy groceries, or pay a mortgage, you are going to be subject to surveillance. From the lowest income earners on up, every American will be checked.

Thousands more IRS bureaucrats will be hired for their new surveillance program, with authority to monitor every transaction you make. Every account transaction would be traced and reported to the Federal Government, edging us closer and closer to a communist- controlled police state.

Republicans are unified in our fight against this new surveillance program. My friend and ranking member, Kevin Brady, led the charge to stop this early on, but not a single Democrat stood up for Americans' financial privacy.

First, things are reported and monitored, and then they are controlled. We cannot let Democrats push us down this dangerous and slippery slope.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Chris, Julia and Sophia Penny, our Texas 24 Hometown Heroes of the week. The spring of 2020 when COVID was starting to cause fear and doubt for all Americans, Chris Penny and his two daughters, Julia and Sophia, brought light and positivity to their community in Grapevine, Texas, where they collected painted rocks from all over the country to place along the Parr Park Rock Art Trail.

It started with a few rocks painted and scattered by the Penny family, then they decided to create a Facebook post and share the idea with the rest of the community. They were on a mission to not only give back to their community, but lift spirits across the nation. As the Penny family began collecting works of art, their community and Parr Park Rock Art Trail were brightened with pieces from countless families and individuals wanting to spread the same happiness and positivity.

Over the course of the pandemic, every family and child was looking for safe activities and ways to keep spirits high. The Penny Family showed such a great way to do just that.

I thank Chris, Julia and Sophia Penny, for bringing light in our community that was so desperately needed during a time of stress and uncertainty.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn and his deputies. Earlier this month, Sheriff Waybourn announced the weeks-long investigation known as Operation Buyer Beware, which focused on the demand driving human trafficking.

Together, Texas DPS, Fort Worth Police, Arlington Police and the Department of Homeland Security successfully arrested a total of 115 men over the course of 1 week, many of them repeat offenders. Those arrested were attempting to solicit sex from minors.

With this operation, the Tarrant County Sheriff has sent a clear signal to offenders in the community that the safety and well-being of our children is paramount, and acts of harm and violence will not be tolerated. The sheriff's department stepped up to make use of the recent changes to State law that will increase jail time for solicitation.

We applaud our law enforcement and those dedicated to keeping Texas- 24 safe. Madam Speaker, I thank Sheriff Bill Waybourn and Tarrant County law enforcement for executing this operation and making strides to protect our community.

Madam Speaker, I'm here today to recognize North Texas' own Colleyville Police Department, which won two prestigious International Association of Chiefs of Police awards this year.

Colleyville is an amazing city in TX-24, and the brave men and women of their department brought down a worldwide sex trafficking website, saving a 13-year old girl in the process. This mission earned them the IACP's Sex Trafficking Case Award.

In the same year they went on to solve an international fraud ring stemming from Nigeria. These actions gave them the Elder Fraud Case Award.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police, which has over 31,000 members across 165 countries, hands out 15 awards each year to officers and agencies who exhibit leadership, excellence, and professionalism.

I am immensely proud to represent these officers in Texas' 24th District--they have not only made our community a safer place to Jive, but the entire world.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of the city of Keller in becoming the most family-friendly city in the State of Texas.

This community of over 45,000 residents sits in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and prides itself on pairing big city comforts with small town charm.

Its history is rooted in the perseverance of frontier settlers in the golden age of railroads. That spirit lives on today in a community of incredible entrepreneurs and small business owners, beautiful parks and trails, excellent schools, and award-winning city facilities and programs.

Often listed among the safest and best places to live in America, this city strives to serve its citizens at every stage of life, from young families buying their first homes to empty nesters who could not imagine living anywhere else.

In that effort, Keller City Council recognizes the importance of fighting on behalf of taxpayers, attracting exceptional economic development, prioritizing the community's roads and sidewalks, and ensuring public safety by supporting its unparalleled first responders.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate the city of Keller and their shared vision of becoming Texas' most family-friendly city. I look forward to seeing the incredible progress that this community will see working together.

Madam Speaker, years ago, I, like many women, suffered a miscarriage. I should have been able to hold my son in my arms, but that was not God's plan. Years later, I still grieve that loss--and not the loss of a generic cluster of cells, but an actual baby who would have been about this size. My son had his own unique set of DNA, fingerprints, blood type, and a heartbeat--every marker that we use to identify a human being.

Pregnancy is difficult on a policy and personal level, but to deny that a child growing inside a woman is nothing more than an inconvenience is to ignore the value of life. Losing a child changed who I was, and it is the same for most women. We can't pretend that this loss doesn't have lifelong consequences.

Instead of promoting ways for women to end their pregnancies, we should be helping expectant mothers find the medical, emotional, and financial support they need. But that has never been the Democrats' focus. The party that claims to protect women is actively supporting policies that devalue the lives of women and children across the globe. Their policies have turned the human trafficking of children into a multibillion dollar industry and supported a terrorist regime since Afghanistan's takeover that went from educating and valuing the contribution of women to whipping them in the streets.

This bill is called the Women's Health Protection Act. But make no mistake, Madam Speaker, no woman is protected under this bill. Rather, it authorizes killing for the sake of convenience. Innocent human lives are either valued or they are not. This bill is merely another example of the dehumanizing policy platform the Democrats have adopted. America is founded on the protection of life.

Madam Speaker, as a Texas woman, a mother, and an American, I encourage the Chamber to reject this barbaric bill and embrace life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this en bloc, which includes my friend and colleague Representative Dean Phillips' amendment, which directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on the effects of the Department of Defense's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification framework on small business.

Recognizing the increased cyber vulnerabilities of small contractors, the DOD initiated a new cybersecurity assessment framework called the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification to assess contractor implementation of cybersecurity requirements.

While no one disputes the Federal Government's need to address the growing cybersecurity risks facing our Nation, I am concerned that the CMMC has created another hurdle to keep small businesses from competing effectively in the defense marketplace.

There is no question our military relies heavily on the many small businesses that make up our defense contracting network, and their voices should be heard throughout this process.

Strong national security and cybersecurity in a thriving defense industrial base shouldn't be mutually exclusively goals, and I hope this amendment will set a clear path forward for our smaller contractors.

I would also like to rise today in support of the following amendments en bloc, which includes my supply chain-focused amendment that I was proud to introduce with my main colleague, Mr. Golden.

Now, more than ever, we must ensure our supply chains are protected, and with every business I meet, I continue to hear how they are experiencing firsthand impacts of supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19. And to prevent further disruptions, we must act now to identify vulnerabilities. Protecting our supply chain is more than just business, it is a matter now of national security.

My amendment will begin this process by directing the DNI and the CIA to identify those critical supply chains to our national security, economic security, and public health, as well as recommend necessary actions.

It is my goal, along with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, that this amendment will prevent another grave supply chain crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of these two amendments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Wanda Riddle of Irving, Texas, who passed on August 5, 2021. She was a great friend and faithful supporter of our community for over 35 years.

Wanda was known as the mayor of south Irving and had a heart for public service. We have been fortunate to hear stories from her family over the past few weeks, which painted a picture of her life.

Wanda and her late husband, Jim, started a family and raised their sons Rick, Ron, and Rod in Irving. They left a lasting impact on their community through the Jim and Wanda Riddle Memorial Scholarship, which is set to award a student-athlete from Nimitz High School a $1,000 scholarship annually.

Wanda's passing was a great loss for Irving and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. Our community would not be the same without Wanda's guidance, friendship, and support.

May God continue to bless the community and the Riddle family at this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, I wish I could say I was rising in support of this legislation but, again, we are being asked to vote on a bill that represents a missed opportunity on the backs of our constituents.

I am pleased I was able to secure needed improvement for DFW Airport in the appropriations legislation. These projects would not only improve my district but the whole region.

I have held roundtables and formed a working group with local leaders and stakeholders who know what is best for my community and what I heard from them and fought to include in legislation funding our government is, sadly, not what we are debating today.

Instead of working to craft bipartisan legislation which Members on both sides of the aisle can support, the Senate can pass, and the President can sign into law, we are, instead, debating monstrous appropriations bills that are based on unrealistic, irresponsible funding levels and include partisan policy provisions that will only delay funding and passage.

These political games only serve to impede badly needed infrastructure projects. No, the Democrats didn't shut down the government, they just tried to shut down the rest of the country. I would love to be able to work on legislation that we can work on together that will actually advance what we are trying to do in this country. I urge opposition to this rule.