Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the admirable career of retired Navy Chief Warrant Officer Phillip Boone.

Phillip was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1958 to Samuel and Mary Boone. After graduating from West Charlotte High School in 1975, Phillip immediately enlisted in the United States Navy at age 17.

His first assignment was aboard the U.S.S. Eisenhower, where he performed operations on the flight deck, catapulting and arresting military aircraft--one of the most dangerous jobs on a carrier. During his time in the Navy, Phillip sailed the world aboard four additional aircraft carriers and one amphibious assault ship, the U.S.S. Wasp. In 1986, he was promoted to Chief Petty Officer, and in 1988, he earned his commission as a Warrant Officer. After 25 years of honorable service, Phillip retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 4, having led thousands of sailors, managed budgets upwards of five million dollars, and went on ten peacekeeping and five combat deployments, including to the Persian Gulf and Grenada. His exemplary service earned Phillip the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal three times, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and many other personal and unit citations.

Following his retirement, Phillip became a Navy Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NJROTC) instructor and used the position to motivate young men and women to join the armed services. For more than 23 years, he trained, taught, and mentored class after class of our Nation's youth, preparing them to take on life's challenges, whether they went on to join the military or not. His NJROTC cadets have logged tens of thousands of community service hours and won countless awards for military drill and marksmanship. In 2019, he was nominated for the Beaumont Foundation of America's prestigious ``Wayne E. Reaud Excellence in Education Award,'' recognizing his outstanding service as an educator. That same year, he was also named Beaumont Independent School District's ``Teacher of the Year.''

It is a privilege to sincerely thank Chief Warrant Officer Boone for his exemplary service in the United States Navy and for his role in educating new generations of Americans. I offer my congratulations on his retirement, and I wish him and his family all the best in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Pine Ridge Baptist Church in Kountze, Texas, on its 150th year of ministry to the families and residents of Hardin County.

Pine Ridge Baptist Church was chartered in 1874 by Rev. D.M. Jordan and his wife, Becky; W.J. Jordan; George B. Jordan and his wife, Sultana; Jessie Jordan and his wife, Missouri; Jordan Daniels; Rev. J.W. Teel and his wife, Milley; Mandy Jordan Shaw Cotton; Mary Jane Jordan Teel; Aletha Laird Herrington; and Thomas Laird.

Land for the new church was donated by Rev. D.M. Jordan and constructed out of rough pine lumber. In its early years, homemade benches lined the walls for seating, handmade quilts were placed on the floor so children could relax or sleep during longer sermons, and church baptisms were held in Little Pine Island Bayou. Following Rev. Jordan's death in 1906, his son-in-law, Rev. J.W. Teel, took on the role, and Pine Ridge has been led by many devoted pastors since. The church congregation has also grown exponentially over the past 150 years, with membership currently at 240 believers.

Pine Ridge owes much of its preserved history to a man named Nathan G. Jordan, who joined the church in the late 1890s. While serving as the church's second clerk, Nathan's meticulous recordkeeping is responsible for the many documents, obituaries, meeting minutes, and biographical information of the area's early settlers and church members still available today.

Over the past 150 years, the church and its congregation have been unwavering in their commitment to sharing the good news of salvation with all who seek to know God. With its long history of service and leadership to the community, Pine Ridge Baptist Church continues to uphold the ideals and traditions of its founders.

I offer my most sincere congratulations on this significant milestone and wish them continued prosperity as they keep to their mission of serving the community as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished career of longtime Texas lawman and my good friend, Texas Ranger Robert ``Brandon'' Bess. On February 29, 2024, he hung up his signature Stetson cowboy hat and un-pinned the legendary Cinco Peso Ranger badge for the last time.

Brandon is a native of Kirbyville, Texas, and graduated from Kirbyville High School in 1990. He earned a degree in criminal justice from Kilgore College before attending the East Texas Police Academy. After he graduated from the academy, he served as a patrolman for the Henderson Police Department and as a deputy in the Rusk County Sherriff's Office.

In 1995, Brandon joined the Texas Department of Public Safety, where he served as a Highway Patrol Trooper from 1995 to 2005 and as a Sergeant and Special Agent in Criminal Intelligence from 2005 to 2013. In July 2013, he joined the prestigious Texas Rangers, the oldest law enforcement organization on the North Amencan continent with statewide jurisdiction. Since April 2021, he has served as the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program ``cold case'' Ranger for Texas Ranger Company ``A,'' encompassing thirty-five Southeast Texas counties.

Brandon worked on countless major criminal investigations throughout the Lone Star State for the Ranger Division during his distinguished career. He perfected the use of DNA tracing and other cutting-edge technologies to bring multiple criminals to justice, often many years after the case was considered cold. It has been a privilege to assist him in cutting through the federal bureaucracy for several of these cases.

Brandon married his wife, Mary Beth, on March 13, 1999. Together, they share children Marshall, Walker, and Mattie. The Bess family are active members of Anahuac Methodist Church, where Brandon has served as a Sunday School teacher, on multiple committees, and currently chairs the church's Board of Stewards. Additionally, he is a cancer survivor and veteran of the United States Army Reserve and National Guard.

Mr. Speaker, in its two-hundred-year history, only the finest law enforcement officers have had the honor of calling themselves Texas Rangers. I am proud that Ranger Brandon Bess is among them. I wish him, Mary Beth, and their family all the best in the next chapter of their lives.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished career of a longtime Texas lawman, constituent, and good friend, Texas Ranger Robert ``Brandon'' Bess.

On February 29, 2024, he hung up his signature Stetson cowboy hat, and he unpinned the legendary Texas Rangers cinco-peso badge for the last time.

Brandon is a native of Kirbyville, Texas, and graduated from Kirbyville High School in 1990. He earned a degree in criminal justice from Kilgore College before attending East Texas Police Academy. After he graduated from the academy, he served as a patrolman for the Henderson Police Department and as a deputy in the Rusk County Sheriff's Office.

In 1995, Brandon joined the Texas Department of Public Safety where he served as a highway patrol trooper from 1995 to 2005 and as a sergeant and special agent in criminal intelligence from 2005 to 2013.

In July 2013, he joined the prestigious Texas Rangers, the oldest law enforcement organization on the North American Continent with statewide jurisdiction. Since April 2021, he has served as the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program Ranger, ``cold case,'' for Texas Ranger Company A, encompassing 35 southeast Texas counties, where he has done a marvelous job.

Brandon worked on countless criminal investigations throughout the Lone Star State for the ranger division during his distinguished career. He perfected the use of DNA tracing and other cutting-edge technologies to bring multiple criminals to justice finally, often many years after the case was considered cold. It has been a great privilege to assist him in cutting through the Federal bureaucracy for several of those cases.

Brandon married his wife, Mary Beth, on March 13, 1999. Together they share children, Marshall, Walker, and Mattie. The Bess family are active members of Anahuac Methodist Church, where Brandon has served as a Sunday school teacher, on multiple committees, and currently chairs the church's board of stewards. Additionally, he is a cancer survivor and a veteran of the United States Army Reserve and the Texas Army National Guard.

Madam Speaker, in its 200-year history, only the very finest law enforcement officers have had the great honor of calling themselves Texas Rangers. I am proud that Ranger Brandon Bess is among them.

I wish him, Mary Beth, and their family the very best in the next chapter of their lives, and I look forward to working with him in the future as well.

Mr. Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H.R. 6542.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Utah for yielding. I appreciate it.

Tonight, I am going to talk about the fitness of our President.

Mr. Speaker, ``a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,'' these were the words used by Special Counsel Robert Hur to describe Joe Biden, the President of the world's greatest and most powerful Nation.

They are also the justification for why no criminal charges are being pursued for Joe Biden's willful mishandling of classified documents.

Just so that we are clear: The Justice Department is going to let Biden off the hook because he is old and now has a bad memory, and yet continue its aggressive persecution of Donald J. Trump because he is, what, 2 years younger and still mentally with it?

Most of those in this country will agree with me when I say, as we say in Texas: that dog won't hunt. The left screams that no one is above the law. I guess they mean no one but Democrat families like the Bidens and the Clintons.

Americans are fed up with the double standard of justice repeatedly displayed by our Nation's top law enforcement authority at the Department of Justice. We are witnessing blatant, government weaponization. It is despicable and must not be tolerated.

If Joe Biden's mental capacity is too diminished to stand before a jury as the opposition has made Donald Trump do numerous times, then he is clearly unfit to serve as our Commander in Chief.

America is a global superpower--the strongest, most capable country in world history. Nearly 250 years' worth of blood, sweat, and tears were the cost of this historic status, but today, our adversaries are watching our leader fail miserably at home and abroad.

While our enemies are hard at work exploiting this President's numerous weaknesses, the entire world is taking note as Biden turns the United States into an international laughingstock.

Mr. Speaker, leadership is everything. As Alexander the Great once said: It is not an army of lions led by a sheep that I fear; it is an army of sheep led by a lion.

The American people deserve better from our highest office, and for the sake of our Nation's survival, we need a mentally sound President that we can rely on.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Space Center Houston President and Chief Executive Officer William T. Harris on receiving the prestigious Quasar Award for Economic Development Excellence from the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.

William was named the President and CEO of Space Center Houston in 2019 and has since overseen and worked to ensure its continued success. As the Official Visitor Center of the Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston is the top attraction for international visitors in the Houston area. Last year, it welcomed around 1.3 million guests, provided more than 1,700 jobs, and generated an annual economic impact of $118.7 million.

Apart from his role in making sure Space Center Houston thrives, William has held many nonprofit leadership positions in museums and universities nationwide for more than 39 years. He currently serves as the immediate past chair on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association of Science and Technology Centers, on the QueensCare Charitable Board, as Board Vice President of the Association of Science Museum Directors, on the Board of Directors for the Greater Houston Partnership, among others.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to congratulate William Harris on receiving this recognition and commend his dedication to STEM education and work to inspire generations of future pioneers in space.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished career of longtime Texas lawman, Major Grover Franklin Huff. Since 2018, Major Huff has served as the Company Commander of Company ``A,'' which encompasses a thirty-five-county area bordered to the east by Louisiana, to the south by the Texas Gulf Coast, and to the north and west by Companies ``F'' and ``B.'' On January 31, 2024, Major Huff will hang up the signature cowboy hat and un-pin his fifty-peso Ranger badge for the last time.

Major Huff was born to Allen and Beatrice Huff on February 2, 1962, in Orange, Texas. He graduated from West Orange-Stark High School in 1980 and attended Lamar University. He then enrolled in the Jefferson County Jail Academy and the Lamar University Police Academy, graduating in 1985. Before joining the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Major Huff began his lengthy career in law enforcement, serving with the Orange County Sherriff's Office and the Bridge City Police Department.

In 1989, Major Huff attended DPS Recruit School as part of Class A-89 and was inducted as a state trooper on February 16, 1990. On June 1, 1997, Major Huff joined the prestigious Texas Rangers, the oldest law enforcement organization on the North American continent with statewide jurisdiction.

His fellow Rangers have characterized Major Huff as a ``Ranger's Ranger.'' He is known as an expert in crime scene processing and has taught advanced criminal investigation courses to state, local, federal, and even foreign law enforcement officers. Over the past four decades, his work has resulted in the conviction of numerous violent criminals, justice for countless families, and safer Texas communities. Major Huff, however, has said that his greatest accomplishment has been overseeing the development of new Rangers and their promotion through the ranks of the storied law enforcement agency.

Mr. Speaker, in its two-hundred-year history, only the finest law enforcement officers have had the honor of calling themselves Texas Rangers. I am proud that Major Grover Franklin Huff is among them. I wish him, his wife, Diane, and their family all the best in the next chapter of their life.

Mr. Speaker, I very much thank my good friend from Utah for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, in all the years of my life, never would I ever have imagined that I would witness an American President using every resource available to him to unravel American national security, but that is our reality.

Since Joe Biden's very first day in office, the American people have watched him repeatedly and deliberately turn a blind eye to the border crisis unfolding down at our southern border and even up in our northern border.

As a result of his negligence, millions and millions of illegal aliens, including

cartel members, terror suspects, human traffickers, deadly drugs, illicit weapons, and more, much more, have been allowed to enter the Nation freely with fatal results for tens of thousands of American citizens, and even the migrants themselves.

Monthly illegal alien apprehension all-time records have been set and then broken under this administration, which is by the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' own admission, releasing upwards of 85 percent of those unlawfully crossing the border into the interior of the U.S.--85 percent of those apprehended at the border are released into the country.

More than 242,400 illegals were encountered crossing the southern border last November, a 236 percent increase from November 2020, roughly the population of Scottsdale, Arizona.

I would give an appropriate metaphor for December's historic border apprehensions, which reportedly have surpassed 302,000, but the administration has yet to make those public.

Knowing this, the President and his cronies would still have us believe that the southern border is somehow secure, which leads me to think that either they do not know the definition of the word ``secure,'' or they think the American people are stupid.

My bet is on the latter, especially when you look at the dramatic dip in illegal border crossings this month. We were at the border 2 weeks ago with our Speaker and inexplicably before we got there, numbers had dropped mysteriously.

The White House would most likely have you believe that this decline in daily border encounters is the outcome of policy change, but Americans are not stupid.

This is nothing more than another facade to fool the public into thinking that the left has finally come to its senses on border security. Don't fall for it. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Whatever backhanded deal this administration has suddenly made with Mexico for a temporary period of time has nothing to do with your safety and everything to do with the optics surrounding a particular event taking place this November, a certain national election.

The only way to end this border crisis is to implement policies that stop incentivizing illegal immigration by finishing the border wall, by ending catch and release, by closing asylum loopholes, by blocking the exploitation of the Department of Homeland Security's CBP One app, restoring interior enforcement, and more. These are all policies that this administration and congressional Democrats clearly have no intention of doing on a permanent basis whatsoever.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is this: The fate of America's sovereignty and very existence rests with its people, whose votes this November will make that determination of whether America survives as we know it; as the great beacon of freedom shining on the hill for the rest of the world to see and emulate.

I will never falter. I will continue working to close the southern border and hold this administration to account.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the life of my friend and longtime community leader, Pedro Cuellar ``Pete'' Alfaro of Baytown, Texas, who passed away on December 11, 2023. Pete devoted his life to public service, honorably serving as mayor of Baytown, as a city council member, on the Lee College Board of Regents, and on numerous other community and non-profit boards. He was a leader, mentor, friend, and role model to countless in the region, and leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire new generations of public servants for years to come.

Pete was born August 10, 1940, to Felipe and Victoriana Alfaro. After serving in the United States Army as a basic electronics instructor at Fort Bliss for three years, Pete attended the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1969 and was a lifetime member of the Texas Exes alum association. That same year, he began his career as an electrical engineer at Humble Oil and Refining, now ExxonMobil, where he would remain employed for the next 31 years.

After being elected to the city council in 1989 where he served two terms, Pete was voted in as the first Hispanic mayor of Baytown, a position he held for 11 years. His pivotal role in infrastructure development, particularly the completion of the Fred Hartman Bridge in partnership with then-Governor George W. Bush, epitomized his dedication to building a stronger Baytown.

However, his reach was not confined to the city hall, it extended to significant roles on boards such as the Lee College Board of Regents, the Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Board of Trustees, and the Patient and Family Advisory Council. After facing the devastating loss of his daughter, Debi, Pete channeled his grief into a steadfast commitment to elevating healthcare standards. Chairing the Quality and Patient Safety Steering Committee at Houston Methodist Baytown for two decades, he worked tirelessly to ensure the surrounding community received and had access to top-notch healthcare. In recognition of his efforts, the Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital dedicated its new state-of-the-art education and training facility in honor of Pete and his wife, Lupe, in May of this year.

Throughout the years, Pete left a significant impact in the public and private sector. In fact, he was named the 2004 Baytown Sun newspaper's ``Citizen of the Year'' and the 2010 ExxonMobil's ``Refiner of the Year'' for his community service.

Pete was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Debi Alfaro Yarborough. He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Guadalupe ``Lupe'' Alfaro; daughters, Priscilla Alfaro and Sandra Rodriguez; son, Paul Alfaro; and grandchildren, Christopher, Marissa, Austin, Alexis, Mikaela, Emily, Nicholas, and Kelsey.

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to honor the memory and legacy of Pete Alfaro. My heartfelt prayers are with his wife and loved ones during this challenging time. May Pete rest in peace knowing his tenacious efforts for the betterment of Baytown, Lee College, and the surrounding community will forever be remembered.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th birthday of First Lieutenant Abraham ``Abe'' Schnitzer of Houston, Texas, and his service as a navigator in the United States Army Air Corps during the Second World War.

Mr. Schnitzer was born in Port Arthur, Texas, on August 18, 1923. After graduating from Port Arthur High School, he went to work for Bethlehem (previously called Pennsylvania) Shipyard in Beaumont, Texas. In 1942, while working as a foreman overseeing shipbuilding operations, Mr. Schnitzer felt called to quit his ``safe job'' and join the military to defend his country. He did so and was commissioned in the United States Army Air Corps.

He specialized as a navigator on the B-17 Flying Fortress. He was first assigned to the 445th Bombardment Group of the 2nd Air Division of the Eighth Air Force to continue training on B-17 bombers. He was soon designated the lead navigator of the entire group and guided many bombing missions over Nazi-occupied France and Belgium.

As the war continued, he was eventually placed in the B-24 Liberator, where he and his crew carried out 20 dangerous missions over Germany. In fact, his bombardment group led the first bombing mission on Berlin. American actor and icon Jimmy Stewart was one of the officers in that group, and he would join Mr. Schnitzer and the other airmen in their downtime.

During his time in the European Theater, Mr. Schnitzer flew 24 combat missions and accumulated 165 combat flight hours. According to his service records, he ``navigated B-24 aircraft over land and sea by dead reckoning, pilotage, celestial, and radio navigation.'' For his military duty, Mr. Schnitzer was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four Bronze Service Stars, and a commendation from the French government.

Interestingly, two of Mr. Schnitzer's missions over Kassel, Germany, carry personal significance, as it was the very town that his future wife and her Jewish family fled during the early years of what would be known as the Holocaust in 1937. He met Edith Isenberg as an Air Force Cadet in 1942 and sent her a daily postcard from Europe until he returned home in 1945. They were married for 68 years and had three children: Robert, Dinah, and Alan.

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to honor Abraham ``Abe'' Schnitzer, a centenarian and distinguished patriot of our great Nation. May God continue to bless Mr. Schnitzer--a proud member of the Greatest Generation.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my good friend, the gentleman from Kansas, for yielding and for this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, it is hard to imagine an administration that goes out of its way to increase our dependency on an adversarial nation hell-bent on our demise here in the United States of America. That is precisely what is happening--all because the left hates oil and gas and fossil fuels. I represent a district that is the epicenter of energy in east Texas in the greater Houston region.

Communist China wishes nothing more than to see America burn to the ground, and Joe Biden's reckless demand for electric vehicles continues to give Beijing an ever-increasing advantage in seeing this quest through.

Let's look at some of the facts.

Nearly 80 percent of the world's cell manufacturing capacity for EV batteries is controlled by none other than Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

Mr. Speaker, 75 percent of the world's lithium-ion battery megafactories are in the People's Republic of China.

Mr. Speaker, 90 percent of graphite, the single largest mineral component of EV batteries, electric vehicle batteries, is refined in the People's Republic of China.

Yet, if increased reliance on China isn't alarming enough, let's look at how electric vehicles are faring on the home front.

Just a few weeks ago, in my own office, I had a number of car dealers from my great State of Texas visit to share the latest on EV--electric vehicle--sales. Given how much the Biden administration talks about EVs, you would think that they are selling like hotcakes. Big surprise, or maybe not, they are actually selling like $50,000 paperweights.

I recently saw a great line in The Wall Street Journal: ``You can subsidize a buyer into the auto showroom, but you can't make him buy.''

The truth is that dealers can't get EVs off their lots.

Texans don't want vehicles that they can't rely on. While I am a huge supporter of innovation, fully electric vehicles aren't ready for prime time, and forcing them on the American people will not change that reality.

By unilaterally mandating unrealistic emission standards for vehicles in an effort to shift markets, this administration has dealt serious damage to the entire automotive sector.

Unfortunately, even with this information, the White House would still force Americans to buy electric vehicles.

Out of concerns for our manufacturers, dealers, national security, and, more importantly, American families, it is time for this administration to return to reality. Fossil fuels are the only reliable energy source that we have. If we stop producing and using them, we will soon be bowing the knee to the demands of Communist China.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Moore for yielding, and I congratulate him on his new position, as well.

Mr. Speaker, more than 10 million illegal aliens have entered America under the negligent watch of this administration, which is a number higher than the individual population of 40 of our 50 States. It is incredible.

Migrant women and children from every corner of the globe are being raped and murdered on the dangerous journey to our southern border. Americans are dying from overdoses of fentanyl and other deadly drugs that are pouring into our country at an alarming rate from Mexico. Over 100,000 Americans just last year have died of overdoses. In fact, earlier this month, I spoke with a father from my district who lost his only son to fentanyl overdose last January.

While these horrible things happen to Americans, my colleagues across the aisle still dare to call Republicans immoral for wanting to build and finish the border wall, which is just one commonsense solution that can be used to eliminate the crisis claiming thousands of lives down at our southern border.

Instead, they would rather abandon logic and continue to blindly accept everyone who shows up at our border without properly vetting them--criminals and all. They think that we should allow illegals to roam freely across all of our great States because they believe that one day they will be great voters for them and their party.

To every American I have spoken to, enabling the death of a U.S. citizen or migrant is, without question, an immorality.

Nevertheless, if the deaths aren't enough to warrant action by Democrats in Congress and the White House to secure the Nation, then how about the historic number of suspected terrorists who have been caught attempting to sneak into our country?

There have been nearly 300 since Biden has taken office, Mr. Speaker, and you can bet that some, and God only knows how many, made it successfully into the interior and are planning for another 9/11-style attack on America. It is a matter of when and not if.

The President knows this, DHS Secretary Mayorkas knows this, and the Democrats in this sacred Chamber know this as well, and still they do nothing to stop or even address the worsening border catastrophe that is plaguing and endangering our Nation.

However, this administration seems to have no qualms whatsoever about turning the American people into second-class citizens. While law- abiding Americans deal with inflation and high prices, illegal aliens are given free transportation from the border to the city in America of their choice, free medical attention when they are hurt or get injured or are ill, free schooling for their illegal children, and much more.

If that isn't enough of a disgrace, the administration is now using public schools, airports, and national parks to house illegal aliens all paid for by the taxpayers' dollars.

What kind of President puts his own people last?

I will tell you, Mr. Speaker. It is President Joe Biden.

It will not be tolerated, which is why I am supporting H.R. 5283, to prohibit Federal funds from being used to shelter illegals on U.S. land under the jurisdiction of Federal land management agencies, illegals whom we should be deporting.

I have been fighting for border security since my very first day in Congress, and I will not give up until this vital task is accomplished. This bill is a step in the right direction.

Border security truly is national security, and the property and safety of U.S. citizens must always come first in my book, if it were only so with our President and the Democratic Party.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Christopher Douglas Wright and reflect on the remarkable life he lived. Though a resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Chris left an impact that can be seen far and wide.

Chris was born on November 13, 1984, to loving parents Greg and Janet Wright. Following in the footsteps of his father and brother, Chris attended The Baylor School in Chattanooga beginning in 1997. A significant member of the Baylor community, Chris was widely known for his versatile athleticism, academic prowess, and magnetic personality amongst his peers, friends, and teachers. His athletic achievements, which included a state championship in baseball and two-year All-State football honors, left a legacy that inspired countless future Baylor athletes. However, Chris was also not one to be outdone in the classroom as he was a highly accomplished student, excelling academically as a National Honor Society member.

After high school, Chris continued his academic and athletic career at Yale University, where he was a four-year letterman and 2006 Ivy League Football Champion. A consummate gentleman and scholar, he was known and loved for his sincerity among classmates and friends.

Chris further propelled his business education after Yale by attending the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he received a Master of Business Administration.

Emboldened by a long-term desire to leverage his honed business acumen in his hometown, Chris returned to Chattanooga in 2016, where he most recently served as a Principal at Alderman Enterprises.

I had the opportunity to meet Chris several years ago, and it was abundantly clear that he was a man who possessed a deep devotion to God and his family. He fervently loved his wife, Acacia, and their children, Declan, Abbott, and newborn daughter, Aprilia, with no exceptions. He valued character over image and humility over pedigree. He was a man of discipline and a role model to many.

Chris passed away on September 29, 2023--a life cut far too short but a memory that will live on.

It is an incredible privilege to honor that memory today. Chris Wright blessed so many, and I am certain those individuals will spend their remaining days in deep appreciation of the opportunity to have known him. My prayers remain with his family, friends, and loved ones during this tragic time.

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt about it, wokeness is destroying America. The proof is all around us. It has managed to seep into our schools, businesses, publications, and nearly every other nook and cranny of our great society. Even our military is prioritizing diversity and inclusion over strength and readiness.

Schools are teaching critical race theory and revisionist history over truth and fact, brainwashing our kids with a leftist doctrine on what to think instead of how to think and formulate ideas for themselves.

Agendas to defund and demonize police officers are hindering police departments' ability to hire new personnel and to protect their communities.

Radical climate change policies are decimating our energy sector. The foolish push for electric vehicles is increasing our dependency on an enemy like Communist China.

Liberal judges are refusing to prosecute violent criminals and enabling this tsunami of a crime wave that is washing over our Nation.

The continued exploitation of programs like humanitarian parole is worsening the border crisis and allowing millions of illegal aliens to enter the country on the taxpayers' dime and making it more likely that we will be hit with another terrorist attack like 9/11, or even worse. The list goes on.

The fact remains that the left's woke policies plague our Nation, and we must find a remedy before the damage done becomes permanent.

By using common sense--and merely putting American interests first-- many of the policies in the two appropriations bills that are currently being debated and voted on this week work to eliminate these woke and disastrous policies. Unsurprisingly, my Democrat colleagues across the aisle strongly oppose these commonsense policies and changes.

The American people know better. No longer should we fund the Wuhan lab responsible for unleashing COVID-19 into the world. No longer should we allow those with ties to the Communist Chinese Party, Russia, North Korea, or Iran to purchase U.S. farmland.

No longer should Federal funds be used by the Defense Department to enforce critical race theory and other DEI policies and sidetracking our military from its primary mission to destroy our enemies and keep us free.

These are just a few of the ways that House Republicans are prioritizing the Nation's needs over a political agenda that throws merit and ability out the window.

We must remain steadfast in our mission to loosen this disastrous grip that wokeness has had on America for far too long. Our national security, our food security, our energy security, our overall sovereignty, and our national survival depend on it.