Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Liberty High School Lady Panthers for winning the 2022 Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) Division 4A State Championship. This is the Lady Panther's second consecutive state title and third in the last five years.

During their victorious season, the Lady Panthers had a record of 38 wins and six losses before defeating the Sweeny Bulldogs in the State Championship Game on June 5, 2022.

Six Lady Panthers were named to the State UIL Softball 4A All- Tournament Team: Kylie Bishop, Kamdyn Chandler, Reese Evans, Hollie Thomas, Bryana Pantalion, and Bailee Slack. Senior third baseman, Kylie Bishop, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. In a pre-game ceremony before Liberty's state title game, Head Coach, Karen Slack, received recognition as the 2020-2021 National Federation of State High School Coaches' Texas State Softball Coach of the Year.

I would like to acknowledge everyone that contributed to the team's winning season: players, Reagan Williamson, Kendall Daniel, Ashlyn Cordova, Brookelyn Taylor, Marina Bourgeios, Abby Vickers, Alex Wiley, Bryana Pantalion, Bailee Slack, Kamdyn Chandler, Maci Beam, Hollie Thomas, Alexis West-Tadlock, Reese Evans, and Kylie Bishop; managers, Jocelyn Shimp, Hallie Etheridge, and Laci Kirkland; Athletic Trainer, Michael Pope; Head Coach and Liberty High School Principal, Karen Slack; Assistant Coaches, Joe Slack and Katherine McAdams; Liberty Independent School District (ISD) Athletic Director, Chris Lackey; and Liberty ISD Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Cody Abshier.

Congratulations again to the Lady Panthers on their season of triumph.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Liberty High School Lady Panthers for winning the 2022 Texas University Interscholastic League Division 4A State championship.

This is the Lady Panthers' second consecutive State title and the third in the last 5 years. Amazing.

During their historic season, the Lady Panthers had a record of 38 wins and only 6 losses before defeating the Sweeny Bulldogs in the State championship game on June 5.

I am proud to say six Lady Panthers were named to the State UIL Softball 4A All-Tournament Team: Kylie Bishop, Kamdyn Chandler, Reese Evans, Hollie Thomas, Bryana Pantalion, and Bailee Slack. Senior third baseman Kylie Bishop was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

In a pregame ceremony before Liberty's State title game, Head Coach Karen Slack received recognition as the 2020-2021 National Federation of State High School Coaches' Texas State Softball Coach of the Year.

Madam Speaker, I again congratulate the Lady Panthers on their season of triumph. I am so very proud of all of them.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for giving us this opportunity.

We have heard a lot of hypocrisy from President Biden and the Democrats about oil and gas, about our fossil fuel industry.

We have heard them say that they are going to ``end fossil fuels, period;'' that the oil and gas industry should no longer have the ability to even drill to explore; that the only way to save the coral reefs and the glaciers is to end fossil fuels, and that millions of people are dying every year because of fossil fuels.

And even though my colleagues on the other side of the aisle weren't joking, it is hard not to laugh at this absurdity.

Who is buying this baloney?

Who is so blinded by the left and their climate change delusion that they can't see the hypocrisy in all of this?

If the Democrats got their way, if they really did shutdown the fossil fuel industry, do they actually understand the real-life ramifications of that drastic action?

What do you think the Democrats think fuels our construction equipment, our trucks, our buses, tractors, boats, and trains?

How would they spend their recent trillion-dollar infrastructure package without diesel fuel?

If Joe Biden keeps his promise to end fossil fuels, life will certainly become

awfully challenging for many of us in the 21st century since laptops, tablets, and credit cards, will no longer be available.

Imagine how Joe Biden's constituents would have felt in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy raged up through Delaware if they couldn't have gotten their hands on gasoline-powered electric generators?

Yes, my friends, those generators provided power, thanks to none other than fossil fuels and their industry.

And as if the baby formula shortage isn't bad enough already, let's take away their pacifiers too, yet another product of fossil fuels.

The hypocrisy is astounding. Honestly, Joe Biden should be thanking the fossil fuel industry for protecting him. Thanks to his helmet, brought to us by fossil fuels, he was shielded from his fall off that bicycle last week; not to mention the petroleum-made asphalt that padded his fall and, frankly, even the bicycle itself.

And while this administration tells suffering Americans to just simply buy Teslas and other electric vehicles, they are conveniently failing to mention that fossil fuels make brake fluid, turn signals, tires. And, in fact, they supply the very power that charges our electric vehicles.

Everything from pens to dog toys, sunglasses to the soles of our shoes, we still very much need the oil and gas industry. We are dependent on it, folks.

But if my Democrat colleagues would like to ban leather briefcases and patio furniture, candles, headsets, and cell phones in the name of climate change, then good luck. You will only further cripple our economy and destroy many everyday necessities that you seem to take for granted.

Oh, don't forget that petrochemicals also are used to make painkillers, antihistamines, antibiotics, antibacterials, cough syrups, creams, and ointments. They are also used in heart valves and other critical lifesaving medical equipment like radiological dyes and films, intravenous tubing, syringes and oxygen masks.

I would recommend my Democrat colleagues do a little more homework before they foolishly make enemies of an industry that is involved in literally every single aspect of our lives.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Louisiana, the gentleman, for his leadership. I really appreciate it.

If Joe Biden valued America, if he valued our freedoms, our prosperity, our success, our influence on the world, he would value the security of our economy. He would value a balanced budget, and he would value your financial future.

But, of course, we know he doesn't. Your financial stability gets in the way of his agenda. The money that Biden asked for and that Democrats in this Chamber incessantly spend is not only just random dollars and cents from who knows where, but also money that you have earned from your hard work, money that should have been used to ensure you and your family see a stable and prosperous future.

Plain and simple, these antigrowth and pro-tax policies have us hurtling toward a recession and will destroy your ability to build the future that you want to have. It is no wonder that consumer confidence and the Democrats' agenda is reeling nationwide.

Last month, inflation increased at the quickest pace since December of 1981--8.6 percent over the past year. Those aren't just words. Inflation means that everything costs you more.

Inflation this high, rising that quickly, means that American families are now facing the very harsh reality that they could be on the brink of financial ruin which many respected economists now are fearing that the wheels may come off of our economy.

Commonsense solutions could have prevented most of this. Reckless socialist spending sparked the fire and paying workers to stay home fanned that flame.

The irresponsible policies coming out of the Democrat party spurred on a manufacturing and supply chain disaster like we have never seen before in our history--all for the sake of a woke socialist agenda.

I hope that they are proud of themselves. I hope that they are proud that they have caused energy prices to rise by more than 30 percent. I hope they are proud that gasoline is $5 a gallon across the country, nearly a 100 percent increase.

I hope they are proud that we still don't have baby formula on the shelves and that people cannot put food on the table because prices are way up, over 12 percent now, and that wages are shrinking, and that fewer women and minorities are in the workforce, and that the stock market is volatile and has lost trillions of Americans' wealth. I could go on and on.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are responsible for this, and it is time that they take responsibility and shift course before it is too late. Our very future hangs in the balance.

Amen.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Missouri, Ranking Member Graves, for yielding me time to speak on the 2022 Water Resources Development Act.

As someone who has seen firsthand the impact WRDA has had on Americans and our communities, I am greatly honored to have worked on this year's legislation.

A major priority for southeast Texas, the Texas Coastal Spine, is authorized in this legislation. This must-do project to protect our home State from hurricane storm surge and flooding will make millions of Texans, as well as our State's most important economic hubs, where a huge percentage of our Nation's gasoline and strategic fuels are manufactured, much safer.

Additionally, this bill expedites vital projects at the Port of Houston and the Sabine-Neches Waterway, the busiest port in the country and where more military equipment is shipped than any other waterway respectively.

We need to get this bill across the finish line. And I thank Chairman DeFazio, Ranking Member Graves, as well as Subcommittee Chairwoman Napolitano and Ranking Member Rouzer and their staffs for everyone's hard work on this bill.

I also take a moment to thank Paul Sass, the departing Republican staff director, for his many years of service on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Paul's commitment to mission and dedication to public service have improved, not only our committee, but the Congress as a whole. And I wish him the absolute best of luck with all of his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Mississippi (Mr. Palazzo) for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize those who have faithfully served and are serving in our National Guard units.

Dating back to 1636, the Guard has a proud history and has shaped and defended our great Nation. In my home State of Texas, 199 years ago, Stephen F. Austin formed the Texas Militia, now known as the Texas Army National Guard, and 100 years later, the Texas Air National Guard was established. Since their inception, these courageous servicemembers have been first responders to many natural disasters; many in my own district where we routinely seem to have hurricanes. They have helped to maintain civil order, and they have deployed to the southern border to protect our sovereignty.

But their service doesn't stop there. The Guard augments our Active- Duty military offering complete warfighting capability at only 30 percent of the cost. At a moment's notice, they respond to the call of our country.

In southeast Texas, Mr. Speaker, you will find the 147th Attack Wing at Ellington Field where they fly the MQ-9 Reaper and are combat mission-capable and proven, ready to provide critical ISR and air-to- ground strike capability. Additionally, they have responded to the crisis at the border and played a vital role in storm preparation and recovery. The 147th is a prime

example of the benefit of the National Guard, and I have no doubt that this wing will continue to succeed and lead into the future.

Speaking of the future, we must create a Space National Guard mirroring the newest branch of our military. Focusing on missile warning, space intel, electronic warfare, satellite C2, and many other capabilities, the collaboration between Active Duty and the Space Guard would seamlessly provide ops and mission support from above.

As a former member of the Texas Army National Guard, I stand firmly behind the guardsmen who are willingly called upon at any moment with every capability to do any job, including in space, and I offer my heartfelt admiration and appreciation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my good friend, Col. Donald ``Don'' P. Morse, D.D.S. Don passed away on March 24, 2022, at the age of 87. I served under his command while stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base (AFB) in Germany many years ago. Don influenced my life, and the lives of every other officer entrusted under his command, with his unwavering patriotism and steadfast leadership.

He was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Christmas Day in 1934. Don graduated from Ray High School and went to Del Mar College before attending the University of Texas Dental School in Houston. After graduating from dental school in 1959, he commissioned into the Air Force as a dental officer. Don served for 26 years and had many different duty stations, both overseas and state-side. During his last 13 years, he was the Base Dental Commander at various military installations throughout the U.S. and overseas, including Ramstein AFB. Don received numerous decorations for his military service. Among them, were the Chief Dental Badge and Legion of Merit.

After retiring from the Air Force, Don was asked to serve as the Dental Health Coordinator for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. He later became the Public Health Administrator for the district, overseeing not only Dental Health services but also the Health Department Communicable Disease programs, Animal Care services, and Occupational Health and Wellness services. Don was instrumental in adding fluoride to the city of San Antonio's water, was the Medical Logistics Officer for Pope St. John Paul II's visit to San Antonio in 1987, and worked with various programs such as Head Start. Throughout both his military and public health careers, Don sat on countless committees, authored several published works, and received many honors.

He took great pride in his country and community, serving on the board of the Beethoven Maennerchor, one of Texas's oldest German singing societies, for 13 years. Don enjoyed singing, volunteering, and supporting German culture, language, and Gemutlichkeit. He was also passionate about riding motorcycles, a pastime that allowed him to take in the beauty of our nation firsthand. However, time spent with family and friends was Don's ultimate joy. He loved telling stories with poetic skill and humor, often times in German. Don never met a stranger, and his love for traveling and sense of adventure took him all over the world. He is survived by his wife, Iris Morse; son, Eric Morse; daughter, Lia Conners, and husband, Skip; granddaughters, Isabella Morse, Arianna Morse, Zoe Connors, and Quinn Connors; stepdaughters, Jill Rittimann, Julie Ellis and husband, Jeremy, and Karen Kricka and husband, Simon; step-grandchildren, Geoffrey Rittimann and wife, Katie, Aidan Ellis, Arianna Ellis, Jackson Kricka, Corbin Kricka, and Chloe Kricka. Don is preceded in death by the mother of his children, Suse Morse. He considered all of his family a precious blessing to him.

Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to celebrate the life of this remarkable American, an outstanding mentor who taught me what it means to be a patriot. Don was a fine military officer and served his country and community with distinction. May God continue to bless his family and loved ones, and my heartfelt prayers remain with them during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and neighbor from Louisiana. I represent the 36th District in East Texas. I thank the gentleman for having this.

Mr. Speaker, President Biden and his followers here in Congress seem to believe that their policies cannot cause inflation, or cause shortages of food, or even shortages of baby formula now.

Instead of accepting their well-deserved blame and providing a sensible path forward for the American people, they deflect; they blame President Trump, who has been out of office for more than 15 months now; or they blame Russia or Ukraine, even though gas and grocery prices were skyrocketing well before that conflict even began.

As polling shows, the majority of Americans are well aware of the President's mishandling of our economy. And while I believe that in November in those elections, they will show President Biden exactly what the American people are thinking about his policies, I don't believe that he will actually change course.

As long as he occupies the Oval Office, it is his duty to serve the American people, and I call on President Biden to immediately get with the program, Mr. President.

President Biden, please worry less about who is in charge of Twitter, or whether schoolchildren are wearing masks, and stop trying to force socialist woke policies on to a public that does not want them. Uphold your oath of office, the rule of law, and do your job.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 471,

the PAUSE Act, to protect all Americans from Biden's border crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate my good friend from my neighbor, Louisiana, Mr. Johnson, for having this Special Order.

No, it doesn't look like things are going to change, as the gentleman said. Joe Biden has no interest in securing the southern border. He has proven it time and time again over the last 14 months.

On day one of his Presidency, our Commander in Chief stopped completely the construction of our border wall, which is, by the way, something that Congress appropriated funds for and is something that we know for a fact deters illegal crossings.

In fact, the Department of Homeland Security reported that illegal entries in areas with the new border wall system along the Yuma sector plummeted more than 87 percent in fiscal year 2020, compared with the previous year of 2019.

President Biden's foolish decision to stop construction of this wall left millions of taxpayer dollars' worth of steel just rusting away in the hot sun and the cold, wet winters; millions of your tax dollars simply gone to waste.

He ended remain in Mexico, a policy that The Washington Post reported made illegal apprehensions fall by 30 percent in its very first year alone.

He has tied the hands of ICE who, last year, deported the lowest number of illegal aliens since 1995, despite more than 2 million alien apprehensions. Interior enforcement is drying up to nothing.

And now he is scrapping title 42, the very last policy that saves CBP from drowning in a complete sea of chaos.

But if all of this isn't enough to convince you that Joe Biden doesn't have your best interests in mind, take a look at his budget request for 2023. He wants $73 trillion--that is with a T--in spending, $58 trillion--another T--more in taxes. And our debt will increase by $16 trillion--with a T--over the next decade.

I did a quick search for the phrase ``border security'' in this budget. It is mentioned twice. We are facing the worst border crisis on record and a historic number of fentanyl overdoses from drugs illegally smuggled into our country, over 100,000 dead Americans from drug overdoses, and yet, the President mentioned border security only twice.

Do you know how often he mentions the word ``climate''? 187 times.

Joe Biden claims that he is working to protect America but, folks, the facts actually say otherwise. The facts show that he doesn't care about keeping you and your family safe. The facts show he doesn't care about protecting the livelihood that you worked so hard for. And the facts show that he doesn't care about the sovereignty or the security of our great Nation that we love, a beacon of liberty and freedom for all the world to look at and envy.

That is why they are coming here. Shame on President Biden.

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

Madam Speaker, last month, the House passed the COMPETES Act, better known as the concedes act, which was forced through this Chamber in a partisan fashion and lacked the policies needed to truly bolster our scientific infrastructure and combat threats from our foreign adversaries.

The hard work and the bipartisan collaboration of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee were left in the wake of partisan politics.

The House-passed concedes act let China off the hook very simply for failing to contain COVID-19. It failed to ban funding to CCP-tied organizations. It failed to punish the CCP for its blatant human rights abuses. It failed to strengthen America's competitive edge over China.

Today, we have the opportunity to instruct conferees to bolster the language and actually stand up against Communist China.

That is why I support this motion to instruct. It will ensure that no entities identified as Chinese military companies operating in the United States are eligible to receive funds through the new technology directorate, the supply chain resiliency program that we set up through Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

We must put a stop to Communist China spreading misinformation, stealing our technology, and bolstering its economic advantages while weakening ours. The FBI and intelligence agencies have continually warned Congress about these same threats from Communist China.

China's investment in development, and not in basic research, implies that they are building their technological success on the backs of U.S.-funded basic research.

We have even seen the infiltration of Chinese influence in our university systems and academia on several different occasions at the top institutions of America. We must work to ensure that China cannot undermine our open system of research and development.

This time, let's support scientific discovery, advance American technology, and hold our foreign adversaries accountable, and let's not waste the American people's time again.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and neighbor across the Sabine River for having this special order honoring Representative Young.

We are here to honor the dean of our House, Congressman Don Young. For nearly half a century, Don devoted his life to serving the people of Alaska and our Nation, starting his long career in Congress just 4 years after we landed an astronaut on the surface of the moon. A staggering thought.

``North to the Future'' is the motto of our 49th State. It is meant to represent Alaska as the land of promise. Throughout 10 different administrations, multiple wars and conflicts, national tragedies, the invention of the worldwide web, September the 11th, and much more, Don never stopped trying to spread the motto of his home State to the rest of our Nation because he saw America as a land of promise.

He understood the need to learn from our successes and our failures, adapt and push forward boldly, and bold he was. I will miss his fiery personality, his fearlessness, and his unique ability to get bills expedited if he concluded that they were taking too long.

I share Don's fierce love for Alaska and the great outdoors, and I routinely visited his great State to hunt and fish over many years. If you have seen Alaska's breathtaking terrain and wildlife, you will never wonder why Don adored that State so much. He stood by his State through the thick and the thin.

It was an honor to walk with him in these sacred Halls, to serve alongside of him in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to hear the wisdom that he gleaned throughout his many years in Congress, and to call him my friend.

God threw away the mold after he created Don Young. History will remember him fondly, as it very well should. Anne and his children are in my prayers.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend across the Sabine River from me, Mr. Johnson, for having this Special Order.

President Biden and the Democrats hate the facts because the facts are not

on their side. If we are being honest, the facts haven't been on their side for a very long time. Nevertheless, they continue perpetuating the lie that domestic energy is somehow bad, and foreign energy is somehow good.

So, join me. Let's take a look at the facts here. The refineries, petrochemical plants, and American businesses in and around my district, the 36th Congressional District of the State of Texas, are unmatched worldwide.

For years, they have showcased what our country does best, and that is producing superior, high-quality petroleum products by leading in technological innovation.

The best and brightest Americans are constantly discovering new ways to enhance safety, lower emissions, and provide the world with affordable and reliable energy.

But the left, the leftist Democrats, they don't seem to care. They would rather lambaste the American public for not buying a $60,000-plus electric vehicle. In fact, they would rather help tyrants and communist countries become energy powerhouses than to spend even one cent supporting U.S. oil and gas jobs, American ingenuity, or our state-of- the-art facilities.

And in the name of what, eliminating greenhouse gases? Give me a break.

Here is a reality check. When we increase our dependency on foreign nations for our energy needs, we increase our carbon footprint. Simple.

America makes the cleanest energy on the planet--fact. Foreign oil and gas are not produced using the stringent environmental regulations that we have here in America, not to mention foreign oil must travel farther on less safe and less environmentally friendly modes of transportation to get that product here.

If Biden and my Democrat colleagues want to talk about cleaner energy, they must first accept the fact that we, America, lead in reducing harmful pollution worldwide.

Americans are sick of suffering from Biden's anti-oil and gas agenda that supports dirtier energy, funds corrupt governments, kills their jobs, weakens our national security, and raises the cost of everything.

I spent $125 filling up my Ford F-150 pickup truck this past Monday, just as an example.

But here is the bottom line: If Biden and the left honestly believe that foreign energy is the best option, then they really do not care about the environment or the security of our own Nation, the United States of America.

Acknowledge the facts. Put America first. Unleash our energy sector. Help the environment. End our dangerous dependence on foreign adversaries.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman and good doctor from Pennsylvania for this initiative tonight, this Special Order.

Madam Speaker, amidst Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and historically high gas prices here at home, I have got a radical idea for President Joe Biden; how about you ask American workers to produce American energy sourced right here in America?

I know that is a radical idea for you, but this would increase American jobs, strengthen America's economy, and lower grocery and gas prices for all Americans. Not to mention, we would be producing some of the cleanest oil and gas in the world today.

So how do I tell my constituents the truth? The truth is this: The Biden administration would rather invest in foreign energy and make us more reliant on hostile nations and war criminals than to bring domestic production here in America back up to par.

Let me repeat that. Instead of supporting American ingenuity and affordable energy, the left wants your tax dollars to line the pockets of tyrants in Communist countries like Iran and Venezuela, who hate America and everything that we stand for. This kind of stupidity is hard to comprehend.

Tonight, I am calling on President Joe Biden to put what is best for America first for once, and immediately unleash American energy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the centennial of the Robert R. Tuck Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 912 in Baytown, Texas.

VFW Post 912 was first organized on March 9, 1922, by Fred E. Simpson, John L. Bartlett, and Grover K. Edge. This Post, the second oldest VFW post in Texas, was named in honor of the first Baytown citizen killed in action during World War I, Robert R. Tuck. Their initial meetings were held in tents and buildings owned by the then- Humble Oil and Refining Company. The oil industry was flourishing across the region, and many veterans moved there to work following World War I. The Post has had many outstanding commanders over the years. One such individual was George L. Kenne, a member who served as the Post Commander in 1937. He was the second most decorated soldier in World War I.

In July of 1941, almost two decades after being organized, the Post finally established its first permanent location. They began hosting fundraisers consisting of dances and raffles with fifty-cent admission per civilian and a quarter per service member. This tradition would continue to the present day.

The Post moved one more time before settling into its current location in 1977. After receiving significant flood damage from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the Post used reserve funds and fundraiser revenue to resume operations within just six months.

Over the last century, the locations and members of VFW Post 912 have changed, but their mission to serve the needs of veterans and their families has not. They have hosted fundraisers and been a part of many important programs throughout the years, such as the VFW Buddy Poppy program, which aids disabled and disadvantaged veterans. The red poppy flowers assembled within the program symbolize the bloodshed in World War I and are given out before Memorial Day each year.

The Post also hosts ``turkey shoot'' fundraisers in which its members and community supporters shoot at targets to win frozen turkeys, hams, or bacon.

VFW Post 912 has been a steadfast servant of the Baytown community. Along with a local Boy Scout troop, Post members would raise the American flag at local football games before the Junior ROTC took over the duty in 1979. Today, members ensure flags are placed on the graves of local veterans for Memorial Day. Over the decades, the Post has sponsored a baseball team, a local Boy Scout Troop, a beauty pageant, a marble tournament, a Voice of Democracy contest, a writing contest for high school students, and a bowling team. They have also given out numerous scholarships to local high school students and entertained patients at Houston's Michael E. DeBakey Veteran Affairs Medical Center.

Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the members of the Robert R. Tuck, VFW Post 912 on their centennial and thank them for their unwavering service to their nation and community. May God continue to bless our veterans and Post 912 for many years to come.