Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise also in support of the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022.

Programs like these are essential and they deliver meaningful results that strengthen our families and our communities.

In West Virginia, the MIECHV program has made over 21,159 home visits, served 1,556 families, and impacted over 1,943 children. The program supports our vulnerable pregnant women, and it comes alongside parents with young children to ensure that they all have the resources that they need to raise their children.

I also, of course, take a moment to recognize my dear friend and colleague, Jackie Walorski, who this bill is named after.

Jackie was my mentor in Congress when I first came here and she very quickly became my friend. We shared meals together, good conversation, and her office was even directly across from mine in the same hall.

It was my pleasure to serve alongside her on the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee. Her leadership and her passion for these issues are reflected in this bipartisan bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the World War II Medal of Honor recipient, West Virginia native Woody Williams, my dear friend.

Woody was West Virginia's hero, and he was America's hero. He truly embodied what it meant to be part of the Greatest Generation.

Today, he will lie in honor in the United States Capitol. I can think of no better way to honor Woody's life and legacy, as well as the memory of all of the World War II veterans, than allowing him this privilege.

Woody will be sorely missed, but his legacy of service, dedication, and patriotism will live on in countless lives that he touched.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Huntington High School girls basketball team. The team won the championship title, and they finished their season with a 24-1 record. They are the only team to win in the newly developed AAAA division.

While there is no ``I'' in team, they were led by Dionna Gray and coached by the legendary Lonnie Lucas, who has devoted 54 years of his life to coaching.

Congratulations for this outstanding accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate both the boys and girls high school basketball teams from the Covenant School in Huntington, West Virginia.

The boys high school basketball team took home the national championship in their division and finished their season with an 11- game winning streak.

The girls high school basketball team came in second place in their division nationally.

Athletics play a huge role in ensuring that our next generation is well-rounded, able to work as a team, and are equipped to tackle challenges ahead.

I applaud the Covenant School for instilling these very important values in our student athletes.

West Virginia is so proud of the Covenant School's basketball teams.

Madam Speaker, President Biden's trade moratorium undermines U.S. leadership and hands all adversaries a dangerous opportunity to get ahead.

China is seizing this moment to advance in the Indo-Pacific. This is why I join with my colleague, Darin LaHood, to introduce the U.S. Trade Leadership in the Indo-Pacific and China Act. Our bill would require President Biden to act and report on a trade strategy in the Indo- Pacific and with China.

Once again, Democrats didn't allow any bipartisan input in their legislation. There has been zero guidance by President Biden on a trade plan with China. Instead, we continue on a useless wait-and-see approach.

The competition between the U.S. and China demands strong leadership. Democrats must wake up to this reality and take decisive action.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support our bill to ensure America's lasting trade leadership.

Mr. Speaker, since President Biden has taken office, he has tried to increase taxes on everyone. His Build Back Better Act--or as I like to call it, build back broke--is the latest example of his radical tax and spend agenda.

This bill includes $4.5 trillion in new spending, $1.5 trillion in new taxes, and will cause $3 trillion in new debt.

I introduced two amendments in this legislation, one that would ensure Americans still have access to lifesaving cures and one that would ensure Members of Congress do not benefit from Democrats' SALT deduction. Democrats rejected both.

If passed, this reconciliation package will negatively affect all facets of our day-to-day lives. It will make energy more expensive, tax small family businesses, ship American jobs overseas, and make the inflation crisis worse.

Madam Speaker, let us be clear. My colleagues across the aisle want to raise the debt ceiling to pay for their 3.5 trillion tax and spending spree.

In my home State of West Virginia and across the country, people are paying more for gas, groceries, and other everyday items because of the liberals' reckless spending.

Taxpayers are sick of footing the bill for the terrible policies which continue to make the problem of inflation even worse.

Americans shouldn't have to pay for the consequences of Democrats' out-of-touch actions. Democrats are responsible for the spending, and they need to take responsibility for the borrowing. This entire Congress, House Democrats have chosen to go it alone and push through liberal items without any Republican input.

The liberals have managed to spend trillions by themselves. They can raise the debt ceiling alone, too. Socialism has a price tag. It is time the Democrats learn that lesson.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill and my four amendments.

The first amendment will require a report on the status of women in Afghanistan. The rights we fought to secure for them are in dire peril.

The second will hold the administration accountable by requesting a report on the amount of money and materials left behind in Afghanistan.

The third blocks any funding for intelligence sharing and ensures no taxpayer dollars are wasted working with the Taliban. They proved that they can't be trusted by the deadly events at the airport.

The final amendment will establish a memorial for the 13 servicemembers who perished securing the airport.

They lost their lives protecting Americans and our allies. This memorial would ensure that they are never forgotten for their sacrifice.

I urge adoption of all four of my amendments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share stories of employers across the country who are struggling to find and hire employees.

According to April's disastrous jobs report, there are 8.1 million job openings in the United States. Employers can't fill them and, as a result, can't operate their businesses effectively.

The extended unemployment handouts my colleagues across the aisle keep reauthorizing incentivize workers to stay at home and collect unemployment rather than go to work.

I have talked with countless small business owners who cannot compete with these handouts and are facing a grave workforce shortage.

I recently visited with manufacturers in Minnesota. They have had to reduce their output on medical device orders by 20 percent because workers, who they pay between $14 and $16 an hour, are making more on unemployment and choosing to stay at home.

Paying people not to work won't help us recover from COVID-19. We must encourage people to get back into the workforce and not stay on the sidelines.

The opportunity to work hard and get ahead is a pillar of the American Dream. Pursuing a career, providing for a family, and supporting our communities, these are the things we should encourage and celebrate.

We have got the vaccines. Now it is time to get back to work.

Madam Speaker, I was denied my vote, by being held up illegally by the person in front of me in the metal detector--they kept wanding him. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 129.

members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress

Allred (Wexton)

Barragan (Beyer)

Cardenas (Gallego)

Costa (Correa)

Crenshaw (Fallon)

Donalds (Cammack)

Gonzalez (OH) (Timmons)

Gosar (Greene (GA))

Grijalva (Garcia (IL))

Khanna (Gomez)

Kirkpatrick (Stanton)

Langevin (Lynch)

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Leger Fernandez (Jacobs (CA))

Lieu (Beyer)

Lowenthal (Beyer)

Meng (Clark (MA))

Mfume (Connolly)

Moulton (Perlmutter)

Napolitano (Correa)

Omar (Bush)

Payne (Pallone)

Porter (Wexton)

Rush (Underwood)

Sewell (DelBene)

Speier (Scanlon)

Stefanik (Katko)

Trahan (Lynch)

Watson Coleman (Pallone)

Welch (McGovern)

Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Wilson (SC) (Timmons)

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak against H.R. 1319, Pelosi's progressive payoff, and in support of America's gig economy.

Not only is this a costly bill full of liberal wish-list items that do nothing to crush COVID or create jobs, but it also stifles America's gig economy at a time when it needs our support the most.

The gig economy provides flexibility and opportunity to businesses, workers, and customers in urban and rural areas. The success of America's gig economy is due to the absence of government overregulation.

Let's take a lesson from the gig economy that has flourished and scale our response around demand rather than regulation.

I am giving this bill one star. Our gig economy workers and customers deserve the freedom to work and to thrive.

Mr. Speaker, I raise bison. I know bull when I see it, and I know manure when I see it. Less than 10 percent of this so-called stimulus package actually focuses on the pandemic.

In this bill, House Democrats said no to my proposal to target aid to States with high child poverty rates to lift our children up. Instead, they said yes to $1,400 checks that could go to people who entered our country illegally. They said yes to hundreds of millions for absurd pet projects, like Silicon Valley subway systems, the Seaway International Bridge, and $350 billion in blue State bailouts.

Let's cut the bull. The $1.9 trillion payout doesn't crush COVID, nor does it create jobs. Our grandchildren should not be saddled with the cost of this bag of bailouts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in opposition to the resolution on the floor.

For the past 7 months, the President has stated that there is a crisis on our border. Republican House leadership has said there is a crisis on the border. My colleagues have said there is a crisis on the border. And I have said there is a crisis on the border.

Throughout this, the Washington Democrats have denied it again and again. From the party leadership and the committee chairs in hearings and even on the House floor, many have said that the crisis is fake, phony, nonexistent, manufactured, imaginary, and false. They turned a blind eye to a crisis because of political opposition, and the media followed suit.

A few weeks ago, several of my colleagues across the aisle took a trip to our southern border, bringing cameras and journalists along with them. They finally came to terms with what the Republicans have been saying for months.

However, instead of focusing on the root of the problem, underfunding, overcrowding, backlogged cases, and unprecedented surges, they opposed funding and passed a bill to ban construction on the southern border.

For 7 months, my colleagues across the aisle have denied a crisis and failed to act. They still haven't acted. I want to work together to solve this crisis. Instead, we are here debating political nonsense. I have had enough talk about tweets, squads, infighting, labels, and petty disagreements.

When we look at the content of the legislation brought up for discussion today, it is no surprise that the American people have such a low approval of Congress. If it is not a messaging bill to placate the activists, it is an advancement of the socialist agenda, a bill to handcuff our President, or a denouncement of American values.

I came to Congress to create jobs, grow the economy, innovate our energy industry, and fix West Virginia's infrastructure. I was sent here to move our country forward and to solve the problems that actually affect the lives of those we represent. To improve our communities, our country, that is why we are all here.

This resolution is a waste of time. I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation and any legislation that doesn't deliver the results for our country that our citizens deserve.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to speak about my amendment included in en bloc No. 11.

Mr. Chair, my amendment would bestow the privilege of lying in honor in the rotunda of the United States Capitol to the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient of the Second World War.

From the beaches of Normandy, across the seas of Japan, and into the deserts of Africa, the Greatest Generation fought selflessly to protect freedom around the world. It is our duty to honor the sacrifices they made to safeguard hope and liberty for all.

The walls of this historic building have seen the most courageous members of our society. Americans from coast to coast come here to pay their respects to the heroes of our history, an ability that would not be possible without the responsibilities that fell on to our brave parents and grandparents.

We must ensure our children and grandchildren remember those who worked to secure our Nation and freed the world from tyranny.

When I started working on this, there were four. Now, there are only three

living recipients of the Medal of Honor who went above and beyond the call of duty during World War II, one of whom is a dear friend and West Virginia native, Hershel ``Woody'' Williams, who fought valiantly during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

In this time of deep political divide, honoring our Nation's greatest heroes is something we can all come together and agree upon. I ask all Members to support my amendment to honor our Greatest Generation and preserve their legacy as defenders of freedom.

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 today for his signature.