Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I apologize for missing the votes on February 2, 2021, regarding the passage of the previous question and rule providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 11 and H.R. 447. I missed these votes because I was with my son as he signed his offer to play collegiate football. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 19, and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 20.

members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress

Axne (Stevens)

Barragan (Beyer)

Bowman (Clark (MA))

Buchanan (Arrington)

Cardenas (Gomez)

Carson (Butterfield)

Cartwright (Doyle, Michael F.)

Cohen (Beyer)

Cooper (Clark (MA))

DeSaulnier (Matsui)

DesJarlais (Kustoff)

Deutch (Rice (NY))

Dingell (Stevens)

Fallon (Nehls)

Fleischmann (Kustoff)

Frankel, Lois (Clark (MA))

Gallego (Gomez)

Gonzalez, Vicente (Gomez)

Gottheimer (Panetta)

Grijalva (Garcia (IL))

Hastings (Wasserman Schultz)

Hayes (Courtney)

Houlahan (Wild)

Jayapal (Clark (MA))

Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)

Jones (Jacobs (CA))

Keating (Clark (MA))

Kirkpatrick (Stanton)

Kuster (Clark (MA))

Langevin (Courtney)

Larson (CT) (Courtney)

Lawrence (Kildee)

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Lieu (Beyer)

Lofgren (Jeffries)

Long (Wagner)

Lowenthal (Beyer)

Lynch (Clark (MA))

Maloney, Carolyn B. (Jeffries)

McEachin (Wexton)

Meeks (Jeffries)

Meng (Clark (MA))

Mfume (Brown)

Moulton (Beyer)

Nadler (Jeffries)

Napolitano (Correa)

Ocasio-Cortez (Garcia (IL))

Payne (Wasserman Schultz)

Porter (Wexton)

Price (NC) (Butterfield)

Roybal-Allard (Correa)

Ruiz (Aguilar)

Rush (Underwood)

Speier (Scanlon)

Suozzi (Panetta)

Titus (Connolly)

Tonko (Pallone)

Torres (NY) (Auchincloss)

Trahan (McGovern)

Vargas (Correa)

Vela (Gomez)

Watson Coleman (Pallone)

Wilson (FL) (Adams)

Madam Speaker, let me be very clear: This rules package is horrible. It is a progressive affront to America.

The rules package continues proxy voting and remote hearing measures, even though Members of Congress and staff now have access to the COVID- 19 vaccine. If Congress can be first in line for the vaccine, then we must be first to go back to work.

Exactly how far Democrats intend to take their attack on free speech is unclear, but look no further than the extremism in the opening prayer yesterday that concluded with ``amen, and a woman,'' which, quite simply, is illiterate and has nothing to do with gender.

This package paves the way for Democrats to spend unlimited dollars to promote a climate agenda that will harm rural America and our economy while doing nothing to create a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment. Republicans want a better environment and economy, and this rules package will facilitate harm to both.

I urge all of my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, to vote against this resolution. We can do better than neglecting our responsibility to show up in person.

Madam Speaker, we can do better than wasting taxpayer money on idealistic, political environmentalism.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of the operations at the Albemarle Corporation's plant in Magnolia, Arkansas.

Albemarle's Magnolia manufacturing plant is one the world's largest suppliers of bromine and bromine chemicals with forty percent of the world's bromine produced at this site. The chemical ingredients produced at the plant are used as additives for a wide range of products manufactured by pharmaceutical companies, cleaning product manufacturers, water treatment companies, agricultural companies, electronics goods manufacturers, refineries, and paper companies.

The plant not only provides good paying jobs to hundreds of Arkansans throughout the Fourth District of Arkansas, but it is also a regional steward that sets an example of how a corporation should be a leader in the community.

I take this time to thank Albemarle Corporation for fifty great years of operating safely, responsibly, and efficiently, and look forward to fifty more.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 3401, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate with 84 votes and could be sent to the President's desk for his signature today.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, I urge the Speaker to immediately schedule this important bill to protect innocent lives, and I urge my colleagues to join me in this.

Madam Speaker, on the evening of Tuesday, June 18th, I was leading a night tour for a group of students visiting from Arkansas and was not aware that the vote times had been moved up by one hour and therefore missed the first five votes in the series. Had I been present, I would have voted Yea on Roll Call No. 334, Yea on Roll Call No. 335, Yea on Roll Call No. 336, Yea on Roll Call No. 337, and Yea on Roll Call No. 338.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the flooding back in my home State of Arkansas and the need for prioritized spending and more Federal investment in waterway infrastructure.

While national media attention is largely focused elsewhere, the Arkansas River has swollen to historic levels, flooding homes and businesses, breaching levees, and devastating farmland.

President Trump issued an emergency declaration last week allowing FEMA to provide immediate relief to 16 counties most severely affected. This Federal aid is extremely valuable as communities work tirelessly to save businesses and homes.

Arkansas is not alone in experiencing flooding. Our neighbors in Oklahoma, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Missouri, as well as South Dakota, Iowa, and Kansas have all been affected by flooding this year.

These disasters beg the question: What can Congress do to prevent future flooding?

More specifically, how can we improve infrastructure within our States to reduce the risk of dam and levee breaches?

As ranking member on the Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, I hope to add insight into that very question.

Waterways tend to be out of sight and out of mind, but widespread flooding has made navigable rivers impossible to ignore. In Arkansas alone we have seen an estimated $23 million in daily economic loss along the Arkansas River. When barges and boats can no longer navigate inland waterways, the entire State and surrounding areas suffer.

Much of the infrastructure along these rivers was initially installed in the 1960s and 1970s and is now reaching the end of its shelf life. A backlog of maintenance projects compounds the issues, and we can't just keep putting temporary patches on systemic problems.

For example, I recently cosponsored bipartisan legislation that would unlock billions of dollars in already collected fees to maintain our Nation's Federal ports and harbors. In many cases, we have the money for infrastructure projects, however, red tape and bureaucracy slow down the process and prevent necessary work from occurring.

The irony of delaying projects on our navigable waterways is that these projects often have tremendous economic returns--as high as 10 to 1 and 16 to 1. It makes economic sense and it is common sense to invest in waterways and infrastructure.

Unprecedented flooding such as we are observing should serve as a chance for us to reexamine infrastructure to ensure it is updated and capable of protecting life and property.

No doubt, as flood waters recede in the coming days, Congress' attention will turn elsewhere. But I urge my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to come together, address long-term projects that have been on the back burner for years, and keep WRDA on its 2-year schedule.

We can't control the weather, but we can and should do better than accepting as the norm to have outdated and failing infrastructure, flooded homes, and washed out farmlands. The American people deserve better than this.

Before I close, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge and thank the countless first responders and volunteers who have worked around the clock to fill sandbags, move livestock to higher ground, transport possessions from homes at risk of flooding, and rescue people trapped in moving floodwaters.

Governor Hutchinson, the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, the Arkansas National Guard, the Corps of Engineers, and many other State and local officials have led an efficient and organized response, and their swift action has certainly saved lives and property.

Arkansas doesn't back down when challenged, and we persevere through the storms of life. I have heard so many stories of Arkansans rallying around one another in their time of need, and this gives me hope for the days ahead.

Madam Speaker, I extend my sincere congratulations to a new crop of emerging leaders from the Natural State.

Leadership Arkansas is a unique program grounded in the belief that real progress is achieved by bringing a diverse set of interests and backgrounds together. First introduced in 2005 by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas, Leadership Arkansas recruits highly-motivated individuals to experience first-hand the dynamic interactions between cities, industries, governmental units and the people they serve.

The fifty-eight members of Leadership Arkansas' XIII graduating class are all respected and committed leaders within their communities and professions.

This year's graduating class includes: Ashten Adamston, Dina Bates, Dan Beranek, Len Blaylock III, Darrell Boggs, Jordan Burgess, Col. Thomas Crimmins, Chip Culpepper, Hollie Cummings, Kerrie Diaz, Chase Dugger, Bailey Faulkner, Rebekah Fincher, William Fletcher, Kristin Kirk, Pody Gay, Lisa Gazaway, Katherine Gentry, Anna Beth Gorman, Chris Gosnell, Michael Goswami, Adrienne Griffis, Jordan Hale, Burt Hicks, Michael Hoggard, Kendra Jones, David Kelley, Kelsey Kelton, Chris Knollmeyer, Victoria Lamb, Laura Landreaux, Sarah Lane, Margot Lemaster, Gregg Long, Jason McGehee, Jim McGill, Vanessa Moody, Jaime G. Moss, Bob Mouser, Keegan Nichols, Jason Orlicek, Meredith Pettigrew, Mindy Pipkin, Dawn Prasifka, Gregg Ratliff, Matt Rickford, Jeanne Roepcke, Reggie Rose, Payton Smith, Bill Solleder,

Luke Story, Nacole Sweeney, Hilary Trudell, Kevin Weldon, Lawren Wilcox, Temeka Williams, Emily Wood, and Amiee York.

These individuals have worked diligently over the past nine months to enhance the economic outlook of our great state.

They join the dynamic group of Leadership Arkansas' alumni, more than 600 strong, who have gone on to accept roles of great responsibility in the private and public sectors. I congratulate them on their achievement and am excited to see how they shape the future of the state of Arkansas and our great country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the efforts of the women's suffrage movement in the United States.

Susan B. Anthony once said: ``Oh, if I could but live another century and see the fruition of all the work for the women. There is so much yet to be done.''

Now that we stand on the other side of that century, it is only fitting that we honor the suffragettes who paved the way for millions of women to vote and hold public office.

By a vote of 74-15, my home State of Arkansas became the 12th State to ratify the 19th Amendment.

I would like to specifically recognize Ms. Hattie Wyatt Caraway from Jonesboro, Arkansas, the first woman to ever be elected to the United States Senate and whose portrait is prominently displayed outside the Senate Chamber.

A truly representative democracy necessitates that all voices be heard, and the 19th Amendment signified a turning point in government.

America's legacy of strong women continues on today in the lives of each woman who casts a ballot and runs for office. I am honored to serve alongside many of these women.

Mr. Speaker, due to my only daughter, Amie Westerman, having her wedding rehearsal dinner on Friday, May 17, 2019, I will not be present for the vote on H.R. 5, The Equality Act. Had I been present for the vote, I would have recorded a Nay vote.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a very impressive group of individuals visiting the Capitol this week.

Delegates of the National Center for Learning Disabilities have traveled from all over the country to advocate for themselves and their peers.

When it comes to learning, each of us must deal with our own unique challenges. These young people face some particularly difficult obstacles, including dyslexia and dysgraphia, which interfere with the brain's ability to interpret information.

But they have not let these obstacles prevent them from doing great things. They have persevered, working hard, not just for their own success but for the future success of others.

By traveling to Washington to share their stories and discuss opportunities for governmental and societal change, these young adults have demonstrated deep commitment to the community of those who have learning disabilities.

I admire their dedication and hope to use my role as co-chair of the Congressional Dyslexia Caucus to help them in these efforts. May they be encouraged to keep up their great work.

Mr. Speaker, at the age of 93, on February 5, America lost another hero from our Greatest Generation. I rise today to honor the life of Robert Martin of Spring Hill, Arkansas, for his heroic actions in World War II and his life of service.

Mr. Martin enrolled in the Army on June 6, 1944, a day we know as D- day. We think of it as the beginning of the end of the war; although, it was just the beginning of his service. But he had a lot of service to give.

During his time overseas in the war, he served in England, France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany. Mr. Martin fought in the Battle of the Bulge, was wounded in December of 1944 and January and February of 1945, and spent several months in the hospital recovering from serious injuries.

Upon his return to the U.S., he was awarded three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Prisoner of War Medal, a World War II Victory Medal, and several others.

Mr. Martin was a proud resident of Arkansas and became known as the community historian to everyone who lived in Spring Hill, sharing his stories with anyone who would listen.

Mr. Martin was a true American hero. He spent his life serving his fellow man, and, for this, we remember his legacy.

It is with great pride that I honor Mr. Robert Martin.

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 59.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about a fundamental human right, a right declared to be an inalienable right by our Founders who proclaimed we are all created equal and have the God-given right to live--to live freely and to pursue happiness.

Our Founding Fathers carefully articulated that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the human rights that encompass the American way and are the logical foundation for freedom.

Unfortunately, it seems that Planned Parenthood has a logic problem. The CEO of Planned Parenthood tweeted just last week that the organization's ``core mission is providing, protecting, and expanding access to abortion and reproductive healthcare.'' And she called the procedure of an abortion a ``fundamental human right.''

Mr. Speaker, abortion is not a human right. Abortion, to the contrary, is death. Abortion is the antithesis of life, the fundamental human right.

For years, we have been fed the same argument that Planned Parenthood operates to ensure women's health and prenatal care, but straight from their CEO, we know this is not the truth. Planned Parenthood's mission is abortion. Planned Parenthood's mission is death, and their actions prove it.

Planned Parenthood ended the fundamental right to life through 321,384 abortions in 2016. That is 881 abortive deaths per day. This means that every 98 seconds a life was extinguished by Planned Parenthood.

The CEO said in the same tweet that the organization ``will never back down from that fight'' to not only expand access to abortion but to deem it a human right.

Mr. Speaker, as freedom-loving Americans, we must stand on our core principles that all are created equal, and we cannot back down from the fight to preserve life and to protect those who can't protect themselves.

I look forward to continuing work to ensure that our taxpayer dollars do not fund death and abortion, a procedure that denies the right to live and contradicts the core founding principles of our freedom and our Nation.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I would like to first thank my colleague from California, Representative Panetta, for his cosponsorship of this bipartisan amendment. I also would like to thank Representative McCollum from Minnesota for her support of this amendment.

Madam Chair, this amendment simply adds $10 million to the State and private forestry fund. The purpose of this is to prevent some of these catastrophic wildfires that we have been seeing over the past few years.

What we have here is a map that shows what the Forest Service has delineated as a wildland-urban interface. This is where forestry and urban areas intersect, and this is where we have potential for significant loss of property and lives.

There are already programs in place to manage these wildland-urban interfaces, and what we hope to do with this additional appropriation is just to help the State forestry units manage these areas better.

We talk a lot in Congress about Federal lands and how we need to manage those, but across the country, over half of all forestland is owned by private forest landowners. There are literally millions of these private forest landowners, many of them on very small parcels of forestland, and they have no incentive to manage them to help stop the spread of catastrophic wildfire.

What the State and private forestry program does is allows State foresters to go in and help these private landowners to understand how to manage their forests and give them the assistance they need so that we can make these wildland-urban interfaces safer places.

Madam Chair, if we managed everything perfectly on the Federal lands and these wildland-urban interfaces, you still have the issue of all the private lands. The map shows wildland-urban interfaces in places you would expect out in California and other Western States, but because of the population density, we see a lot of these wildland-urban interfaces are in the East where there is more dense populations.

So these funds, although rather small in relation to this huge bill-- as a matter of fact, they make up only eight one-hundredths of 1 percent of the total funds in this bill--would have a huge impact all across the country in making our communities more resilient to catastrophic wildfire, would really help to save property and lives in the future, and would also save a lot of future disaster supplemental funding that the Federal Government would have to dish out.

So, again, I am just asking for this amendment to help State and private forests with a $10 million plus-up to their funds.

Madam Chair, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta).

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta).

Madam Chair, I yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum).

Parliamentary Inquiry

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, this bill, again, would help State and private forests. It would help to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. It is sound environmentally, and it is a good investment for the Federal Government.

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