Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the service of Dr. William Slikker, Jr., a committed servant of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) in Jefferson, Arkansas. Dr. Slikker will soon retire from his role as NCTR Director, where he served the American people and his local Arkansas community with distinction since his appointment in 2005.

Dr. William Slikker, Jr., has been a leader in his field, holding committee chairmanships or elected offices in several scientific societies including the Teratology Society and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He has authored or co-authored over 350 publications in the areas of transplacental pharmacokinetics, developmental neurotoxicology, neuroprotection, systems biology, and risk assessment. And he recently co-edited the Second Edition of the ``Handbook of Developmental Neurotoxicology,'' which is a comprehensive and updated view of important research in the field bridging developmental neuroscience with the principles of neurotoxicology. Leaders and educators like Dr. Slikker are what make the Fourth District of Arkansas so special and why NCTR is such an exceptional institution worthy of continued support.

I take this time today to congratulate Dr. William Slikker, Jr., on his service. I thank him for his dedication to our fellow citizens and our beloved Fourth District of Arkansas, and I wish him well in his future endeavors.

Today, I think about when my four children were young. They are stair-stepped 2 years apart. They used to have competitions in the backyard. They would race from the patio to the elm tree and back. And I would stagger the starting time: Let the youngest one go first, then the next to the youngest, and so on. And by the time they touched the tree and came back, it turned into a real competition--a photo finish a lot of times.

Mr. Speaker, we have all competed in games whose outcome has little significance in life, but we are not facing an insignificant competition in our future. We are in a race of ideologies. The stakes are as high as they can be. We are literally in a struggle for the future of western civilization, of democracy, of representative government, of human rights, and freedom.

Mr. Speaker, this isn't a matter of competing. It is a must-win scenario. And quite frankly, I am aghast that this majority thinks that we only need to compete. Losing is not an option. Our attitude must be to win. If we lose, humanity loses.

I believe freedom-loving Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and people all across the world want America to win. I am disappointed that the Speaker and this majority, once again, dropped a massive bill that could and should be bipartisan, but instead is a cloak for failed Build Back Better policies that lie dead in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, ``You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.''

Those familiar words were from Ronald Reagan in the 1960s, but they have never been more true than today.

How serious are the issues that we face? Take a look at these charts from the economist. This first one is in 2000. The blue is the U.S. and its trading partners. The red is China and its trading partners. Look what has happened in a short 20-year span as we look at this same map from 2022. We see a massive increase in red on this map and a massive decrease of blue on this map.

What do provisions in this bill from the blue New Deal have to do with us winning against China? It does the exact opposite by killing American jobs. Restoring coral reefs off our coast is a commendable goal, but what does spending $292 million on coral reef restoration have to do with us winning against China?

This bill gives supreme, unilateral authority to the Fish and Wildlife Service to determine what species can be imported into the U.S. This so-called ``white list'' mandated in the bill is virtually impossible to implement and will effectively shut down aquaculture and similar industries who need trade to conduct business.

The weaponization of the Lacey Act will only empower bureaucrats and ignores the current State-based approach on species imports. It is legislative laziness since there have been no hearings or an introduced bill on this topic. What in the world does that have to do with winning against China?

The bill requires biased studies and new heavy-handed regulations designed to kill American mineral development.

Mr. Speaker, how can this majority propose this bill while the Democratic administration continues to illustrate incompetency by killing American energy and jobs, and even pulling mining leases in Minnesota that could create jobs and supply resources for the very policies on electrification the administration supports? This only shifts wealth and jobs to China. How does that help us win?

It reminds me of my kids' races, where the majority is trying to handicap America and give China a head start. What we should be doing to have a winning strategy--we should be working together on real issues to ensure that America wins. We should be strengthening diplomacy and trade with our allies and create a solid Western Hemisphere alliance to ensure that America wins.

We should be developing our resources and jobs to help America win. We should be part of the solution and not the problem. Americans and freedom will win if we let them.

As I close, I want to remind you of a fable by Aesop, the Eagle and the Arrow. The Eagle was struck by an arrow and as he lie on the ground he looked back at it, and he said: Alas, I have been wounded by an arrow that was feathered with my own plume.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford to put more plumes on China's arrows. I oppose this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of retired Lieutenant Jerry S. Bush, a committed servant of the Hempstead County Sheriff's Department. Lieutenant Bush passed away on Wednesday, January 5, leaving behind a legacy of joyful service to his beloved Hope, Arkansas home.

Having started his career as a Reserve Deputy, Lieutenant Bush worked his way up to Deputy and was later promoted to Lieutenant in the county's detention center. Lieutenant Bush also served many years as a Bailiff to the Arkansas Circuit Court. Remembered most for his service to the citizens of Hempstead County, Lieutenant Bush will always be remembered as a friend and servant to his community.

I take this time today to honor the life of service exemplified by Lieutenant Jerry S. Bush. I thank him and his family for their dedication to our fellow citizens and our beloved Fourth District of Arkansas.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, Congress has long recognized the importance of Native American Tribal cultural items and their historical, traditional, and cultural importance to Native American Tribes.

Approximately 137 million Native American artifacts, works of art, and specimens are in the Smithsonian's collections according to the Government Accountability Office.

Both the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act provide a legal framework for the repatriation of human remains and cultural items to Indian Tribes.

While these two statutes have greatly reduced the sale of cultural items within the United States, many items have appeared in European auctions where they have little legal protection from being sold.

In recent years, Paris auction houses facilitated the sale of Hopi, Navajo, and Acoma Tribal masks and ceremonial items.

The U.S. Government attempted to intervene to prevent the sales, but the French government and the auction houses maintained that they were legal.

In response to this problem, former Congressman Steve Pearce introduced a concurrent resolution in March of 2016 condemning these sales and requesting that the U.S. Comptroller General conduct a report on the issue.

The Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act, or the STOP Act, would expand legal protections to Native American Tribal artifacts and sacred objects by increasing criminal penalties for repeat traffickers of Native American human remains or cultural items and banning the export of illegally obtained items.

The Department of the Interior would be required to form an interagency working group to facilitate repatriation of items and protect items currently in an Indian Tribe's possession.

To incentivize repatriation, the bill would allow immunity from prosecution if an individual voluntarily surrenders to the appropriate Tribe the Native American cultural objects in his or her possession within 2 years of enactment.

I want to thank the sponsor of the legislation for working with stakeholders impacted by this bill, including the Acoma, the Pueblo, the Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Justice, and others.

It is important that we protect items of cultural and historic significance to our Indian Tribes.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I encourage adoption of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, as the gentlewoman described, this is a very complex issue with a long history behind it. H.R. 4352 would reverse a 2009 Supreme Court decision, Carcieri v. Salazar, which held that the Indian Reorganization Act does not authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land in trust for Tribes that were not under Federal jurisdiction in 1934 when the act was passed.

The Carcieri decision created vast uncertainty over the fee-to-trust process for Tribes and impacted stakeholders. Since the decision was handed down, there has been no resolution in this incredibly complex issue.

Lands taken into trust are extremely important to Tribes. Tribes' desire to increase their Tribal land base and help

their communities must be respected. There are certain benefits and advantages afforded to Tribes having lands that are held in trust.

But we should be clear that even prior to Carcieri, the fee-to-trust process was far from perfect. We should not ignore the larger need to improve the process.

Many have argued the current Bureau of Indian Affairs process provides very limited incentive for community stakeholders to be partners and places little requirement on the BIA to analyze the impacts of a fee-to-trust decision on nearby communities or Tribes, often resulting in unresolved conflicts and litigation at the local level.

For the last decade, county governments have been asking us to reform this process. Their concerns with the tax, zoning, and community impacts of trust land acquisition have been well documented.

While this bill addresses the immediate impacts of the Carcieri decision, if this bill becomes law, nothing will have changed to address the larger issues with the fee-to-trust process. Congress should address the impacts of the Carcieri decision and enact needed reforms to improve the fee-to-trust process. Tribes and all stakeholders deserve as much, and I look forward to working with them on this important issue.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 897, the Agua Caliente Land Exchange Fee to Trust Confirmation Act, would place approximately 2,560 acres of land owned by the Agua Caliente Tribe within the reservation into trust.

And I will agree with the gentlewoman from New Mexico. I have visited this area, and it is a beautiful area.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians' reservation is located approximately 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles in and around Palm Springs, California, with nearly 11,000 acres of the reservation within the city limits of Palm Springs.

Originally established in 1876 by President Grant, the Tribe's reservation only encompassed 1\1/2\ acres. Today, the reservation is approximately 31,000 acres.

The lands in question were acquired through a land exchange with the Bureau of Land Management in 2018 pursuant to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Act of 2000. H.R. 897 would allow the Bureau of Land Management exchange lands owned by the Tribe to be taken into trust and made part of the Tribe's reservation. Gaming pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act would be prohibited. The Tribe intends to use the land for conservation purposes. According to the Tribe, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains hold strong cultural and historical value to the Tribe.

I appreciate the work of the Tribe and the bill's sponsor to advance this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2074, as amended, the Indian Buffalo Management Act, and I also thank my good friend and the sponsor of the legislation, the dean of the House, Congressman Don Young, for his tireless advocacy on behalf of Indian Country.

Madam Speaker, it may come to a lot of people's surprise but in my home State of Arkansas, in my district, we actually had buffalo herds there at one time. And it lingers in many names around the State: The Buffalo National River, the Buffalo Gap. There is actually a history of buffalo in Arkansas and many other States that no longer have herds.

H.R. 2074 would authorize the Department of the Interior to establish a permanent program to develop and promote the capacity of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to manage buffalo and buffalo habitat.

The American buffalo, or bison, has long held importance to the United States and was officially named the national mammal in 2016. Many American Indian and Alaska Natives have also had a longstanding cultural and spiritual relationship with buffalo, which continues to this day.

By the end of the 19th century, however, buffalo were near extinction. But as a result of conservation efforts, buffalo have slowly returned, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that there are now 200,000 buffalo in the United States.

In 1991, several Tribes with buffalo herds joined together forming the InterTribal Buffalo Council. The council received a Federal charter to aid Tribes in the restoration of buffalo on Tribal lands in 2009.

Today, the InterTribal Buffalo Council is comprised of 68 member Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives with 55 buffalo herds in 19 States with the mission of restoring buffalo to Indian Country.

In 2019, the council received approximately $1.4 million from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Unfortunately, this available funding is subject to the fluctuating appropriations and it is not dedicated to buffalo management on Tribal lands. The council estimates that unmet needs are in excess of $12 million per year.

H.R. 2074 would dedicate $14 million annually for the Department of the Interior to directly support the ability of Indian Tribes to protect, conserve, and enhance buffalo populations on their lands. The bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into agreements with Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations to dispose of surplus buffalo on Federal land and transfer those buffalo to Indian lands.

The program is intended to help Tribes and Tribal organizations plan, conduct, or implement buffalo restoration programs, plan and execute commercial activities related to buffalo products, and carry out other activities related to buffalo restoration and management.

I again thank Congressman Young for his leadership on American Indian and Alaska Native issues, and I urge support for this measure.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the dean of the House.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I encourage passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3531 offered by Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, authorizes the Women Who Worked on the Home Front Foundation to establish a commemorative work in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the commitment and service of millions of women during World War II.

During World War II, roughly 12 million women worked in defense industries and support services across the Nation. Women served in critical professional roles in shipyards, steel mills, foundries, warehouses, offices, and hospitals.

Women worked as codebreakers, aircraft testing pilots, trainers, welders, riveters, telegraph operators, radio and electrical engineers, crane operators,

surveyors, assembly line workers, and many other jobs that kept America running.

In recent years, Congress established the Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park in California to highlight the incredible contributions of women to the war effort. Authorizing this commemorative work in our Nation's capital is another fitting tribute to the brave, strong, and intelligent women that helped us win the war.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers on my side, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, as I listened to the testimony about the bill today, I thought about all of the women that I was around growing up who were part of that war effort at home during World War II and the jobs that they did that were critical to the war effort.

I think about Representative Burchett's mother from Tennessee who flew planes in World War II. My counsel's grandmother, Mimi Hart, was a codebreaker in World War II, and I think it is fitting that we recognize all these women as they are getting up in years and we are losing a lot of them.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman for bringing this bill forward. I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4706, offered by Representative

Tony Gonzales of Texas, to establish the Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, as a unit of the National Park system.

Segregation education began in Marfa in 1892 following the completion of a new school for the city's White students. The Blackwell School served as the sole public education institution for the city of Marfa, Texas', Mexican and Mexican-American children from 1909 to 1965.

Known originally as the Ward or Mexican School, the Blackwell School was later renamed for its longtime principal, Jesse Blackwell, who arrived in 1922. During Blackwell's 25-year tenure, the school grew from one building and 120 students to a multi-building campus and more than 600 students.

The original historic school building and grounds provide an authentic setting to commemorate and interpret the history of the Blackwell School. Designation as a national historic site is locally supported and the designation helps meet needs identified in the National Park Services' American Latino Theme Study completed in 2013.

Madam Speaker, I highly commend my colleague from Texas (Mr. Tony Gonzales) for his work on commemorating this important landmark. I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Tony Gonzales), the author of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I want to encourage adoption of this bill and, again, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his hard work in bringing this bill forward. I hope we can all get behind it. I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, the first unalienable right named in the Declaration of Independence is the right to life. The Preamble of the Constitution further built the framework for this most fundamental liberty.

``We, the people . . . in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity''--none of which can truly be accomplished when the law allows the murder of unborn children.

The Supreme Court got this wrong in 1973 and now has the chance to correct its mistakes and uphold the constitutional right to life. It is absurd to argue, as the plaintiff in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization does, that our founding document can be used to prevent duly-elected State legislators from protecting life.

The Supreme Court must right this wrong. Our Nation should never put an unwritten right to privacy before the enumerated right to life.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 108th birthday of Fourth District native and longtime resident, Mrs. Edna Rayborn Regan. Mrs. Regan spent her birthday celebrating the special occasion in the company of her friends and family.

Born on November 2, 1913, in Calhoun County, Mrs. Regan attended school at Bearden High School where she graduated in 1932. Later, in 1938, she married John Douglas, with whom she shares two sons, three grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. Throughout the years, Mrs. Regan has maintained high spirits and fierce independence, driving until she was 97 and living in her home until she was 100. Early on, Mrs. Regan developed an interest in history, which led to her taking on the role of historian in her family. She is able to trace her family's lineage back several generations without the aid of computers. Thanks to her tireless efforts, her family was able to travel and visit their early ancestral home, which would have never been possible without her determination.

She has since created binders full of stories, pictures, and history to ensure that her family will always cherish from where they came. In Mrs. Regan's spare time, you will rarely find her in her room at her assisted living facility. She enjoys visiting with friends, writing poetry and painting. I take this time today to ask that our Nation join me in wishing Mrs. Edna Rayborn Regan a happy 108th birthday.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the successful career and retirement of Arkansas' native son and ordained Minister, Craig Blair. Throughout his almost 40-year career, Mr. Blair has set himself apart as an example to his community and his peers in the forestry sector.

Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and the son of an Arkansas school principal and a school librarian, Craig pursued a career in forestry, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forest Management from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and a Masters in Forestry Degree in Forest Business from Mississippi State University, where he was also the College of Forest Resources 2018 Alumni Fellow. Over his 39-year career, Craig held a variety of positions in the forestry sector, culminating in his appointment as President and CEO at Resource Management Service (RMS)--a firm that manages timber assets in my district--and in the forest products sector. During his more than 10- year tenure as the firm's leader, Craig oversaw a skilled and experienced team of forestry and investment professionals who built and managed portfolios of forest assets that were collectively valued at more than $4 billion and that included investments in the United States, Australia, Brazil, China, and New Zealand. Craig became Chairman of the RMS Board of Managers on October 1, 2021.

Among his many accomplishments as President and CEO of RMS, Craig led the firm's efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within the forestry profession, developed the first open ended forest investment fund, and championed collaborative approaches to landscape and species conservation, helping to establish Conservation without Conflict. Craig has also been actively engaged in numerous forestry organizations, serving as Chair on the boards of the National Alliance of Forest Owners, the World Forestry Center, and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc., where he received the 2017 SFI President's Award.

The husband of Rita Blair for more than 34 years and father of two sons--Braden and Paul--I take this time today to celebrate Craig Blair. I am proud to call him my forestry colleague and my friend. May we always look at his work ethic and his dedication to his family, the forestry sector, and his church as an example to emulate.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the work of the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation.

The Hot Springs Area Community Foundation is celebrating its 30th year of giving. This foundation was started when 15 local community members wanted to improve their community; now, it is one of twenty- nine affiliates of the Arkansas Community Foundation operating in the top tier of affiliates. Since its inception in 1991, the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation has given out over $17 million in grants to originations in the greater Hot Springs area. In 2021 alone, the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation has awarded just under $250,000 to those in need.

These grant dollars have allowed the community to combat many issues, including food insecurity and other health and poverty-related problems. In addition to food and health issues, the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation is addressing the issue of illiteracy in our area. As part of the statewide Grade-Level Reading initiative, the Foundation works with community leaders, parents, and educators to have children reading at grade level by the end of third grade.

Madam Speaker, I thank the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation, its current and former board members, and those donors who have allowed it to serve the community for the last 30 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dick Antoine, a wonderful man and beloved local radio personality in my hometown of Hot Springs.

Dick served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam war, and in 2018, he retired from his daily talk radio program, ``Talk of the Town,'' where he informed and entertained his faithful listeners for 31 years.

Dick is not only known for his insightful interviews and witty commentary but also his leadership. A few of his many projects included the Veterans Memorial of Garland County,

fundraising for the Fallen Hero Memorial, and emceeing Hot Springs' annual Christmas parade for over 25 years and the Veterans Day parade for 17 years.

Families will cherish the memories of Dick's special characterization of Santa Claus, the World's Tallest Leprechaun, and Oktoberfest ambassador in a chicken costume.

Dick's legacy will live on in the memories of Hot Springs residents, and his presence will be sorely missed. My condolences go to Dick's family and many friends as we grieve his passing and celebrate his life.

Honoring Jim Guldin

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the work of a fellow Arkansan and Yale forester, Dr. James Guldin, or Jim as his friends call him.

Jim taught at Arkansas' only forestry school, the University of Arkansas at Monticello, for 10 years before joining the United States Forest Service research division, where he made great contributions to our knowledge of forest ecology and management through his applied research and publications over a career that spanned nearly three decades.

Jim worked tirelessly to restore native southern pine ecosystems, illustrating how science-based thinning and prescribed burning are common sense, and to highlight effective tools for a healthy forest providing cleaner air and water as well as abundant wildlife habitat.

I truly believe Dr. Jim Guldin is the world's most knowledgeable person when it comes to shortleaf pine and that his work will live long past the lifespan of a human generation in the forests that benefited from his labor of love.

I have been blessed to know some amazing conservationists in my life, and Jim Guldin is one of them. I wish him a happy retirement and many days ahead catching smallmouth bass in clear mountain streams and spending time where all fosterers are most at home: in the woods.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 1619 would ratify and reaffirm a March 2020 decision by the Department of the Interior to place 17 acres of the land located in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, into trust for the Catawba Indian Nation.

In 1980, the Catawba Tribe filed a land claim for former Tribal land in South Carolina, but the agreement they entered with the State failed to provide a clear understanding as to where the Tribe may have lands held in trust, what process is required, or whether the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act applies to the Catawba Nation.

By 1993, the Tribe and the State of South Carolina entered into an agreement to settle the lawsuit, and the South Carolina legislature enacted a law ratifying that agreement.

That same year, Congress ratified the settlement agreement by passing the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act and extinguished any other potential claims of the Catawba.

In exchange, the Catawba received $50 million, the restoration of their status as a Federally-recognized Tribe, and a streamlined process for restoring its land base in South Carolina.

But confusion about the Tribe's land continued as it submitted an application with the Department of the Interior to place land in Cleveland County, North Carolina, acquired into trust to develop a casino.

Even after the Department of the Interior approved the Catawba's trust application, determining that the Tribe met the restored lands exemption under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, there were still ambiguities that led to a challenge in court.

Madam Speaker, I hope that this bill will finally resolve the remaining issues and give the Catawba Tribe certainty about its land and the ways it can use it.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Timmons).

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.