Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend, Walla Walla County Commissioner Greg Tompkins. On December 31, 2022, Mr. Tompkins will retire from public service, marking the end of a long, impactful career devoted to the people and community of Walla Walla County.

Greg has long-been an inspiring leader whom I have had the honor to work with for many years. He first earned the people's trust when he was elected to serve as a county commissioner in January 2003. From day one, Greg worked hard to deliver results for the people who call Walla Walla County home, which earned him the support to serve two more terms before retiring--for the first time--in 2014.

Just four short years later, Greg answered the call to serve--again-- following the unexpected passing of his friend and colleague on the county commission, Jim Duncan. He served the remainder of this term as passionately as he did his first three, before seeking re-election to a final term that will come to a close at the end of this year.

Madam Speaker, I have met few people more dedicated to serving Walla Walla County and Eastern Washington than Greg Tompkins. For 16 years, he proved himself to be someone our community could count on. His work on numerous local and state government committees have yielded incredible results on issues related to housing, emergency services, behavioral health, and many other important challenges residents face. Greg is the embodiment of a public servant whose mission was to leave a lasting impression on the world--a mission our community would proudly say he accomplished.

I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Greg Tompkins for his many years of service to the government and people of Walla Walla County. Together, let us celebrate his faithful service to Eastern Washington and the United States of America by congratulating him on his well- earned retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chaplain Benjamin Vegors, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on Sunday, September 25, 2022. Benjamin lives in Walla Walla, Wash., where for the last four decades, he has lived an inspiring life full of purpose. As anyone who knows him will tell you, Benjamin has had a positive impact on every person he has crossed paths with, both in his service to our country and community.

Chaplain Vegors is a man of great integrity, and he is a tremendous example to the next generation. He valiantly protected our country's freedom and liberty in the midst of World War II, when he served in the Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945. During a particularly fateful mission in which two of his plane's engines were shot out, Chaplain Vegors made a promise that if he survived, he would serve God for the rest of his life.

Benjamin stayed true to his word. After his time as a serviceman, Chaplain Vegors turned his focus to living a life dedicated in service to God and His people. He attended Seminary at Multnomah Bible College in Portland and was appointed as a full-time chaplain at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center in Walla Walla in 1972. For 42 years, Chaplain Vegors selflessly served his brothers and sisters in arms, veterans from all across Eastern Washington, by offering his counsel and care until his retirement in 2014 at the age of 91.

During his remarkable 100 years of life, Chaplain Benjamin Vegors has undoubtedly fulfilled his mission to serve God and help others. Madam Speaker, on this most special day, I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing Benjamin Vegors the happiest 100th birthday and celebrating the legacy he will leave within our community for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, China is the biggest threat facing America today. The Chinese Communist Party uses its centrally controlled economy to pick winners and losers through massive government subsidies and handouts that benefit the ruling party's political allies. They do not adhere to free-market principles and the high labor and environmental standards that we have here in America. This is not a model America should embrace.

We succeed when we reward hard work, creative thinking, risk-taking, and innovation and ensure that a company's success isn't contingent on the approval, direction, or spending by the Federal Government.

I support making chips in the United States, but we cannot lead a new era of innovation through massive government subsidies. We cannot beat China by trying to outspend them.

The CHIPS bill unlocks the Democrats' radical tax and spending spree and will make President Biden's inflation crisis worse.

American competitiveness is suffering today as a result of harmful regulatory barriers and record government spending. This has resulted in unaffordable, high prices for every family, supply chain issues, and, as we learned today, the U.S. is entering a recession.

Meanwhile, Democrats' new reconciliation package spends hundreds of billions of dollars and raises taxes to achieve their grand socialist agenda for more control and more inflation.

To win the future, we need a reliable regulatory and permitting environment that unleashes innovation, secures our supply chains, and ensures American companies are creating jobs right here at home in the United States of America.

Instead of more radical spending, lifting these barriers must be central if we want to secure American leadership and beat China.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on H.R. 4346.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding.

I grew up in a small town, Kettle Falls, and I have lived through the challenges that people face in rural communities.

I have also visited hospitals and healthcare facilities all throughout my district. During the pandemic, Providence Health System scaled up their telehealth services with a 1,000 percent increase in volume.

Telehealth visits by seniors on Medicare increased from 840,000 in 2019 to 52.7 million in 2020 nationwide. Many of these visits were from seniors' homes, which were not paid for by Medicare prior to the pandemic.

Congress and the Trump administration, by action, required Medicare to pay for more telehealth services, reducing out-of-pocket costs and expanding the availability of telehealth services and long-term care where people are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. This bill today makes some of those actions last beyond the public health emergency through 2024.

While I support this legislation, I do think this is a missed opportunity to do more. Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee have many solutions to not just look at telehealth and Medicare for a couple of years but to look also at how we incentivize employers to provide access to telehealth for an estimated 156 million people with employer health insurance.

We have examined and worked on solutions to address both where telehealth may not be appropriate and where it drives better outcomes for patients.

Healthcare providers and patients need certainty. The pandemic has made it clear that telehealth can and should be a part of modernizing healthcare.

I plan to support this legislation and hope to continue to work to unwind the public health emergency in a way that provides patients and our healthcare providers the certainty that they need. I do think that we could have done more on this and hope that this process won't be a model for the rest.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7624, the Spectrum Innovation Act, led by Chairman Doyle and Republican leader Latta.

The Spectrum Innovation Act preserves United States leadership in wireless technology and ensures Americans stay connected. Through this legislation, Congress is taking steps to protect national security, improve our public safety communications, and continue to push the administration to manage our Nation's airways more effectively.

The Energy and Commerce Committee is leading on finding bipartisan solutions to ensure America leads a new era of innovation and entrepreneurship. Today's legislation is a result of that bipartisan work.

The Spectrum Innovation Act extends the Federal Communications Commission's authority to conduct spectrum auctions by 18 months. Without congressional action, the FCC's authority to issue spectrum licenses expires on September 30.

With the upcoming 2.5 gigahertz auction, Congress must act now to make sure that spectrum can be used to provide faster mobile connectivity across

the United States. For the American people, it will mean faster internet, better connectivity, and stronger cell service.

In order to fully utilize our communications network, we must make sure that they are secure. In 2020, Congress passed the Secure and Trusted Communications Network Act to ensure communications networks in the United States were secure. This provided funds to carriers that contained dangerous equipment in their networks like Huawei and ZTE, so that these carriers could maintain service while replacing that communications equipment with secure components.

Earlier this year, the FCC determined that they needed more money to secure our networks. This legislation addresses that shortfall.

If we fail to act, dangerous equipment from CCP-connected companies could remain in our communications networks indefinitely. This is a serious national security threat that must be addressed as quickly as possible.

The Spectrum Innovation Act also includes legislation sponsored by my colleague from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) to establish an incumbent informing capability at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. His legislation, the SMART Spectrum Act, will provide NTIA another tool to better manage Federal spectrum use and help us win the future by making more spectrum available for commercial use as the demand and uses for wireless technology grows.

Finally, the Spectrum Innovation Act would facilitate a nationwide transition to next generation 911. This legislation will help bring 911 fully into the 21st century by considerably improving the public's ability to contact and share information with first responders during emergencies.

It will also enable our first responders to respond to emergencies more safely by providing them with additional information-gathering tools to help strengthen their response when they arrive at the scene.

I thank Mr. Hudson and Ms. Eshoo for their years of hard work to put together comprehensive legislation to upgrade our Nation's aging 911 infrastructure.

This bill advances innovation, improves public safety, and strengthens America's economic leadership all while remaining budget neutral and costing the American taxpayers nothing by using the proceeds from future spectrum auctions to fund these important priorities.

I thank Chairman Pallone, Chairman Doyle, and Ranking Member Latta for working with me and for all of us to come together on a bipartisan agreement.

This legislation is currently the only proposal moving through Congress to address these challenges, and there are imminent consequences to our national and economic security if Congress fails to act.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to see the House lead and take up the Spectrum Innovation Act with bipartisan support, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4551, the RANSOMWARE Act.

Every sector of our economy can be targeted by bad actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in software and networks. Last year, we saw a significant increase in ransomware attacks from groups operating out of and affiliated with foreign countries like China and Russia.

This legislation builds on my SAFE WEB Extension Act, which was enacted last Congress, and amends it to include ransomware in its international reporting and cooperation. This will help protect Americans from ransomware and other cyberattacks from foreign actors.

Just a few months ago, the U.S. learned that hackers for the Chinese Communist Party had breached major telecommunications companies and network service providers to steal credentials and harvest data. What the CCP will do with this information, no one knows. If their intent is ransom or to use it to extort Americans, this bill will help us better understand and combat these attacks.

We will achieve this by requiring the FTC to report on cross-border complaints involving ransomware, or other cybersecurity-related incidents, committed by foreign adversaries. This will help safeguard critical industries from countries like China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and others that may wish to harm us.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce (Mr. Bilirakis) for his work on H.R. 4551, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 8373. Every woman's potential journey to motherhood is different, and I support their access to contraception.

However, this legislation has a lot of problems. Democrats just introduced it on Friday and debated it for the first time on Monday in the Committee on Rules. And since then, they have had to introduce multiple amendments to address their own failures to draft good policy.

This is not how we build trust in solutions to bring forward in the people's House. If Democrats came to me and asked to work together on a bill, I would have been happy to roll up my sleeves and work with them.

For years, Republicans on both sides of the Capitol have led on solutions to allow for great access to safe and effective contraception, including making it available over the counter. Right now, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson and Congresswoman Stephanie Bice are leading on these bills.

Unfortunately, today, rather than work with us, Democrats again, are spreading fear and misinformation to score political points. And they are doing it with a very poorly drafted bill that opens the door further to extreme abortion on demand and their agenda.

H.R. 8373 is a Trojan horse for more abortions. It should be called the payouts for Planned Parenthood act. It would send more taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood, freeing up more funds for them to provide abortions and end vulnerable lives.

This bill endangers the health and safety of women. It allows Planned Parenthood and abortion providers to prescribe both on- and off-label drugs to be used for abortions without any restrictions. Additionally-- and again, despite many drafts--Democrats included a definition of contraception that is not limited to FDA-approved products.

The term ``contraception'' is defined as an action taken to prevent pregnancy, including the use of contraceptives or fertility awareness- based methods and sterilization procedures.

This means that the bill creates an individual right to engage in contraception which can include the use of FDA-approved products, but also any other action taken to prevent pregnancy, including non- approved products.

H.R. 8373 will also continue President Biden's war on religious liberty and conscience protections. It would force health providers to violate their religion and sincerely held beliefs to provide contraception and perform sterilizations, including on minors.

It would also force organizations, like the Little Sisters of the Poor to violate their religion and provide contraception. For all the fearmongering Democrats are spreading about other Supreme Court precedents being threatened, where is the respect for the Little Sisters of the Poor and their victory for their constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom?

The unfortunate reality today is that this bill goes too far and defies the most basic safeguards meant to protect women and children. Women deserve the truth, not more fear and misinformation that forces an extreme agenda on the American people.

Again, Republicans have led to make birth control available over the counter. In 2019, the Federal Government, under a Republican President, spent $1.8 billion for family planning. We have solutions to build on this work to support women.

Unfortunately, Democrats are conflating the issues of abortion and contraception to promote unrestricted abortion for all 9 months of pregnancy.

Contraception is fundamentally different than abortion; a distinction recognized by the pro-life community, doctors, medical professionals, the science, and in Justice Alito's Dobbs opinion.

Abortion intentionally ends a human life. Contraception is to prevent conception.

There is a clear distinction, and to suggest otherwise is more fearmongering and scare tactics that are a disservice to women everywhere.

Madam Speaker, I urge opposition to H.R. 8373, and I urge my colleagues across the aisle to work with us. We welcome the opportunity. Rather than rushing another poorly drafted bill--an extreme bill--through the people's House, we can come together to support every woman's path to a better life and every woman's journey to motherhood.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).

Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Florida an additional 1 minute.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), who is a leader on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).

Madam Speaker, to clarify, the bill defines both contraceptive and contraception. Contraceptive is FDA approved; contraception is not limited to FDA-approved licensed products.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon). Dr. Larry Bucshon is a leader on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to clarify, this legislation never went through the Energy and Commerce Committee. The only debate was in the Rules Committee.

And I also stand here proud that, in 2020, on the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote, led by pro-life Republican women who fought for decades, we have a record number of women serving in the House of Representatives, a record number of Republican women.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Van Duyne), a Member from the class of 2020.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), a leader on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), a champion for life.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, again, so proud that it was pro-life Republican women like Susan B. Anthony who led the right to vote over 100 years ago. Just to correct the record, both Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer suggested that there was a legislative hearing. I don't remember any legislative action. I would ask the chairman, was there any legislative action on this bill?

I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Reclaiming my time, Congresswoman Diana DeGette, my colleague on the committee, said that we had a hearing. It was an Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on Dobbs. I want to quote because what the Democrat witness said confirms the Democrats' abortion on demand until birth act. The Democrat witness said: People find out they need abortions through their pregnancies, yes, at any time for any reason. The issue at hand is the Democrats' extreme agenda, abortion on demand up until birth.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice), a proud member of the class of 2020 with record Republican women.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Hinson), another dynamic leader from the freshman class of 2020.

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

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Madam Speaker, to protect the helpless, most powerless, most innocent among us, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 8296, the abortion on demand until birth act.

This is not about codifying Roe v. Wade. Why? Because it nationalizes abortion for all 9 months of pregnancy--all 9 months. This would make America as radical as China and North Korea.

The abortion on demand until birth act would legalize discriminatory abortion based upon sex, race, and disability, including Down syndrome. It overrides State laws that protect women from coercion. It would weaken conscience protections to force pro-life doctors to perform abortions and end a life.

This is especially frightening for pregnancy centers, faith-based providers, and medical professionals who are using amazing medical achievements in treating both mothers and their babies in the wombs as patients. We are doing prenatal heart surgery today in the United States of America.

The abortion on demand until birth act has nothing to do with protecting the health of women. It has everything to do with forcing an extreme agenda on the American people.

Rather than prey on women's vulnerabilities and fears and nationalize abortion for all 9 months, we should be coming together to support women and their families at every stage of pregnancy and beyond.

Every mother matters. Seventy-six percent of women seeking abortions say they would choose life if their circumstances were different. The focus should be on how to change their circumstances, help them access the care and support that they need, and improve their lives.

Presenting abortion up until birth as a woman's only option is a false choice. There are nearly 3,000 pregnancy centers in all 50 States. They outnumber Planned Parenthood by more than 2,000 facilities. These pregnancy centers, which are right now under violent attack by pro-abortion groups, provide medical care, resources, education, and mentoring to women. They must be protected, not undermined and threatened by an extreme abortion agenda.

The Supreme Court has affirmed the American people's rights to speak through their elected officials and enact laws that protect unborn children. The question upon us today is: How are we going to respond? How is this body going to respond to the greatest human rights issue of our generation? That is the question. This is the human rights issue of our generation.

Do not close your ears. Do not close your eyes. Do not close your heart.

Is it by dehumanizing life and promoting a culture that destroys the weakest among us? Is that how we are going to do it? Or is it by making abortion unthinkable by leading a new era where every person's God- given, unalienable human right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all be the way we will define ourselves?

Let's come together. Let's protect the human rights of the unborn. We cannot deny life to the most disadvantaged and marginalized among us. They have no voice to defend themselves.

Madam Speaker, abortion for all 9 months is not the will of the American people.

Madam Speaker, I urge opposition to H.R. 8296, the abortion on demand until birth act because all lives are worth living, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack), a dynamic example of life in her own testimony.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I don't know of any State laws that prevent birth control. Miscarriages are obviously a tragedy.

The question before us today is on the legislation that would allow for abortion up until birth, 9 months. It is not the will of the American people; it is the extreme agenda of those that are promoting abortion.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), the leader on the Health Subcommittee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), a health provider saving lives every day and a champion for life.

Madam Speaker, I would ask what about the marginalized Black and Hispanic babies who are more likely to be aborted?

Abortion has had a disproportionate impact on minorities and individuals with disabilities.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), who is another healthcare provider. Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks has worked hard to improve the lives of many throughout her career.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) who spent his life defending the voiceless.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and another medical provider.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon), a doctor who understands what amazing technology is doing to save lives.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), another defender of life.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Hern), a defender of freedom, a defender of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining in this debate.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), a defender of life.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline), another defender of life.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), a defender of life.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko), a strong defender of life, who is on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Fischbach), another defender of life.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Madam Speaker, abortion is the sharpest, most soul-searching question before us as a Nation. It pierces every heart. People have strongly held beliefs and stories, and both sides are guilty of dismissing one another.

For those of us who stand for the right to life, we must do a better job of listening and loving. Fear and despair lead to more arguments, anger, discord, and insecurity.

The abortion on demand bill, this bill before us today, though, is extreme. It is abortion for any reason, at any stage of pregnancy until birth. It is not the will of the American people.

I recently spoke with a doctor who shared with me what is possible today. It is American technology and medical technology that allows us now to do surgeries inside the womb.

I am a mom of three young kids, and anyone who has given birth knows that to be able, because of technology, to see the baby develop day by day is just amazing.

Doctors are performing prenatal surgeries and treatments to save lives. This doctor was telling me they can perform a prenatal surgery on 20 different organs. That wasn't possible in 1973 when Roe v. Wade was decided. In fact, the first successful fetal surgery wasn't until 1982.

Many decades later, look how far we have come. Science has evolved. It is my hope that we learn from this and that we reject abortion because it is unthinkable. It is not following the science. It doesn't reflect the latest research or modern medicine. Reject this legislation.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act.

Just like the Democrats' abortion on demand until birth act, this bill is part of an extreme agenda to nationalize abortion for all 9 months of pregnancy. Abortion is a false choice between taking care of a woman and taking care of a baby.

What a woman needs is support. Every life is meaningful, and our actions are significant. Seventy-six percent of women seeking an abortion say that they would choose life if their circumstances were different.

Instead of promoting ways to support women and children with better healthcare, education, financial stability, and changing their circumstances, Democrats, including President Biden, are spreading fear, anxiety, and misinformation. This is a blatant attempt to spread fear and present abortion at any stage of pregnancy as a woman's only option.

So I will be very clear:

It is already unconstitutional to prevent a woman from traveling between States.

The pro-life movement does not support and has always rejected criminalizing and punishing women, period.

State laws currently in effect have exceptions to save the life of the mother.

And pro-life laws do not prevent women from getting care they need in cases of miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies.

Regarding this legislation, the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, I have many questions and concerns. Its vague language, designed to promote more abortions, undermines parental consent for minors, opens loopholes for abuse, and eliminates medical supervision for chemical abortions.

This bill does nothing to explicitly prevent an unrelated adult or a sexual abuser from taking a minor out of State for an abortion without parental consent. It would prevent healthcare professionals, social workers, and schools in every State from reporting instances of child abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect because they could be seen as delaying or hindering access to abortion.

It also undermines parent rights. Parents can be targeted by the Federal Government and sued for wanting to help their child just by asking them to delay traveling to get an abortion.

If their child is 16, for example, the parents lose power to protect their teenager from being coerced by an older man to get an abortion.

The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act undermines the health and safety of women by preempting State laws regulating the practice of medicine. It overrides the majority of States that have determined it is safest for doctors to prescribe pills for chemical abortions. This puts women and minors in danger if they experience complications.

Finally, these same provisions give sexual abusers and human traffickers more direct access to chemical abortions in all 50 States and ensures that doctors in States like California, where there is no parental consent, can effectively become pill mills by prescribing and mailing abortion drugs to children and minors and end lives all over the country.

This is extreme.

Again, I ask my colleagues to abandon this agenda for unlimited abortions with no restrictions. It only promotes more fear, pain, and dehumanization of the most vulnerable, the helpless among us.

Instead, let's come together. Let's come together around human rights of every person in this country, the born and unborn. Let's celebrate the dignity, the value, and the potential of every person. This is our chance to lead a new era of hope and healing in our country for every person, for moms and babies at every stage of life.

Every life is worth living.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Flores), a new Member just elected from the great State of Texas, the first Member who was born in Mexico, and a great member of our Republican Conference.

Madam Speaker, just to clarify, not a single legislature or Congress is debating making contraception illegal. Contraception is not abortion. It prevents conception. The scare tactic about making contraception illegal is another scare tactic by the Democrats to advance a radical abortion agenda to end life up until 9 months.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger), a strong defender of the right to life.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), our whip and a strong defender of life.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Steube) to continue our fight for human rights for all.

Madam Speaker, as we celebrate a record number of pro-life women serving in the United States House of Representatives today and an army of pro-life women all across this country from every corner, we are fighting for the human rights of all, especially the unborn.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack), one of those mighty warriors.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt), another defender of the right to life.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), who is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Dr. John Joyce is continuing our fight for the right to life.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), who is a great member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cloud), who is a great defender of the human right to life.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington), who is continuing our fight for life.

Madam Speaker, we are working on a privacy bill, but that is a separate bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Fulcher), a great defender of life.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), a leader defending life.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko), a defender of life fighting for the right to life.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson), who is on the leadership team in the House and a great defender for life.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Madam Speaker, in the United States of America, we continue our search for a more perfect Union. We all get to be a part of that.

In our history, the Supreme Court has overruled 300 of its own cases, cases such as the Dred Scott decision, and now, Roe v. Wade.

Abortion is a false choice between taking care of a woman and taking care of a baby. What a woman needs is support.

Every life is meaningful, and our actions significant. Ending abortion is the human rights issue of our generation. Every life has value and dignity.

And to every person all across this country, may each one of us open our eyes and see one another. May each one of us open our ears and hear one another. May each one of us open our hearts to one another.

We are a Nation founded on the inalienable, God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As has been noted by others, life comes first. You can't have liberty without life. You can't have the pursuit of happiness without life.

That should guide us and be the bedrock for our moral authority so that abortion would become unthinkable in America.

Today before this House is a radical agenda. The Democrats' abortion agenda is much more radical than anything that was in Roe. This is extreme.

It nationalizes abortion for all 9 months, making America just as radical as China, North Korea. It legitimizes discriminatory abortions at any stage based upon baby's sex, race, or disability, including Down syndrome. It overrides State laws that protect women from coercion.

There is no part of this that celebrates the dignity, the value, or the potential of human life. Pew Research reports that in Washington, D.C., in the 29 States that provide racial and ethnic data on abortion to the CDC, 38 percent of women who underwent an abortion in 2019 were non-Hispanic or Black, though U.S. Census numbers indicate that Black people comprise 13.4 percent of the population.

CDC data from 2019 also indicates that Black women are five times more likely to have an abortion than White women.

Madam Speaker, we stand on the side of life. Let's defend life. It is the human rights issue of our generation. Reject this bill. I yield back the balance of the time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Colfax, Washington. This small town in Eastern Washington is known for its productive farmland and family-oriented atmosphere. Colfax is also the county seat of Whitman County--the largest wheat producing county in America--and is a hub for wheat growers that feeds our region and people all around the world.

The history of Colfax is a rich one with roots dating back to the late 1800s. First settled by James Perkins and Thomas Smith, the town was founded on July 10, 1870 and named after Schuyler Colfax, the 17th Vice President of the United States and 25th Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Today, the town continues to thrive amidst the beautiful rolling hills and fertile countryside of the Palouse. Complete with a healthy quantity of history, opportunities, great education, family values, exciting culture, and so much more, it is without a doubt that wonderful things continue to grow in Colfax.

As the representative in Congress for this one-of-a-kind town, I am so inspired by Colfax's heritage of family values. The families here understand the value of a hard day's work on the farm and the invaluable life skills and lessons that come with it. Parents give everything to prepare their children to pursue the American Dream, whether that is one day taking over the family business or graduating college and starting a new career. The people of Colfax truly embody what it means to be from Eastern Washington, and they make it one of the best places to live in the world.

Madam Speaker, on this most special day, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Colfax's 150 years of remarkable history and celebrating their personification of the American spirit.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Eugene P. Shauvin, who was killed in action on September 17, 1944.

Lt. Shauvin was a resident of Spokane, Washington. He was a brave young man, who selflessly sacrificed his life during World War II to defend freedom and defeat evil. Lt. Shauvin was only 25 years old when his aircraft was shot down en route to the Netherlands. Of the multiple service members aboard the plane, Lt. Shauvin was the only body unable to be identified and accounted for--until now.

At long last, after 78 years of searching, Lt. Shauvin's remains have been recovered, identified, and returned home to his family. On July 23, 2022, he will finally be laid to rest. The repatriation of the lieutenant's remains took many years, but thanks to new technology and the tireless efforts of so many who worked hard to find him, Eugene has finally been brought back to American soil where he belongs. While the lieutenant had a long journey home, I pray his loved ones can find peace and closure after this decades-long search.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing 2nd Lt. Eugene P. Shauvin's extraordinary heroism and honoring his ultimate sacrifice, while also celebrating our commitment to ensuring no American is ever left behind.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant Program. Congress first enacted this program in 1972 to ensure all students would have the same access to higher education and opportunities for success, regardless of their income.

Since then, the Pell Grant Program has evolved into the foundation of federal college assistance for students nationwide. It has become an essential tool for students in financial need to utilize in their pursuit of the American Dream, and it's working.

Over the last 50 years, more than 80 million students--including 7 million currently--have received a Pell Grant to pursue opportunities in higher education nationwide. In Washington's 5th Congressional District alone, Pell Grants have helped more than 19,000 students pursue degrees at one of Eastern Washington's prestigious college institutions by providing an incredible $83 million in financial support during the 2020-21 academic year. The program has been especially impactful across the Washington State University system, where approximately 10,000 students received a Pell Grant to help pay for tuition.

This program has changed the lives of so many in Washington and across the country. Many of these bright minds will go on to earn their degree and become the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, and world leaders. All because this program gave them a chance that they may not have had 50 years ago.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating ``National Pell Grant Day'' today, June 23, and recognize both the students and successful graduates who have proved how special of an investment this program has become. Together, let us continue to teach our children that their circumstances do not define them, encourage them to chase their dreams, and celebrate this program that has provided support to so many.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act.

We are taking urgent action to help States and communities provide lifesaving mental health care to people in need, especially for our children and those suffering from severe mental illness.

I think about Austin, a 9-year-old boy who struggled to cope when his school was shut down, and his parents were going through a divorce. He was socially isolated and didn't know where to turn. When he confessed suicidal thoughts to his mom, they faced long waiting lists and no beds for the care that he needed.

Cases like Austin's can't be ignored. Parents, teachers, and medical professionals are talking about this everywhere I go.

In Spokane, Washington, we are seeing more violence in our schools and rising crime. Drug overdose deaths and fentanyl poisoning were up 300 percent last year. There is an overwhelming sense of despair, anxiety, fear, and isolation. This has been heightened by the horrific shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo. Especially for our children, we need to deliver hope and healing in every community in our country.

This bill will help children in crisis and improve school safety. For example, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is leading with Richard Hudson on a provision that will expand access to behavioral and mental health services to kids in schools.

It also includes a solution I led on with Congresswoman Young Kim to reauthorize the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which supports community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention programs.

Like with Representative French Hill's solution in this, we are removing red tape, boosting treatment access, and making sure communities have resources to combat the substance use disorder epidemic in America.

More than 100,000 people are dying a year, and our communities are in desperate need of help to prevent, treat, and rescue people from overdoses and despair.

The priorities in this bill are targeted to responsibly address our most urgent needs so we can build stronger families, communities, and a brighter future. We are accomplishing this by stopping duplicative programs and cutting the deficit by $200 million. The bulk of the programs in this bill are block grants that have been successful in providing our States and communities with the resources and flexibilities to meet the specific and unique needs in combating mental illness and addiction while keeping the Federal Government out of the decisionmaking process for treatments and care.

By protecting charitable choice, we are also making sure faith-based and religious organizations are competing on an equal footing. This is a victory for conscience protections.

The provisions in this bill also support care for maternal mental health and substance use disorders, which are among the leading causes of death for pregnant and postpartum women. We are saving lives and caring for women at every stage of pregnancy and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge support for this legislation. I thank Chairman Pallone for his leadership and for working with us on solutions from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

While families and communities will lead the way to address the root causes of despair, isolation, violence, and overdose deaths that are tearing nearly every community apart and destroying people's lives, this bill takes an important step forward to help them in these efforts.

We are taking action to turn this despair into hope. Children like Austin in communities like mine in eastern Washington are counting on it. Let's

deliver today and keep building on this work.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer), who has led on important provisions for children in this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), our lead on the Subcommittee on Health.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), a leader on this issue, who sponsored the underlying bill that is incorporated in this package.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Tony Gonzales), whose community understands the importance of hope and healing like no other right now.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlemen from North Dakota (Mr. Armstrong), a leader on the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a leader on the committee and on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), who is a leader on a provision within the larger package.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), who is a leader on the issue.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer).

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon).

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

Madam Speaker, I want to again just express appreciation to the chairman of the committee, all the Members that have participated in helping bring this package of very important mental health proposals to the House today. I urge a strong ``yes'' vote.

As many have said, we have a mental health crisis. At a time when there is so much fear and anxiety and stress, we see increased suicide. We see drug overdoses, and it is time that we act, and act in a way that is really going to make a difference for America's families and our youth in particular.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of the amendments offered en bloc. I rise today to express my strong support for this group of amendments. Included in this en bloc are important bills that have already overwhelmingly passed the House, including Representative Katko's Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act, which reauthorizes the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program and ensures resources are available for the continued operation of the hotline, especially with 9-8-8 going live next month.

Representative Katko also has included in this en bloc the Mental Health Services for Students Act, which provides an authorization for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Project AWARE grant.

Project AWARE is a successful program which supports partnerships between the State and local systems in increasing awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth; providing training for school personnel to detect and respond to mental health issues; and connecting students with behavioral health issues and their families to needed services.

The en bloc also includes the Reschenthaler amendment, which would authorize a study on the cost of untreated serious mental illness on families, the health system, the justice system, and the economy.

While very treatable, serious mental illness remains a neglected health issue, and I am hopeful that the data gleaned from this study will convince policymakers to do more to address this condition, including addressing the IMD exclusion.

This group of amendments demonstrates the good work Congress can do when both parties come together to find meaningful solutions to address mental health in America.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the amendments offered en bloc and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for this group of amendments addressing substance use disorder.

Included in this en bloc are important bills that have already passed with overwhelming support, including Representative Rodney Davis' Opioid Prescription Verification Act, which incentivizes States to use prescription drug monitoring programs; requires certain controlled substances to be prescribed electronically; and directs Federal agencies to develop, disseminate, and periodically update training materials to help pharmacists identify and report potential cases of bad actors who attempt to illegally buy and sell controlled substances.

Also included is Representative David McKinley's Block, Report, And Suspend Suspicious Shipments Act, which places additional obligations on drug manufacturers and distributors to identify and stop suspicious orders of controlled substances.

We have seen a devastating increase in overdose deaths that I think should be called poisonings, teens buying one pill via Snapchat and immediately overdosing because of a small amount of fentanyl in those pills. Just because it looks like a pill and someone says it was from a pharmacy does not make it so. We need to do more to stop both diversion of legitimate medication and counterfeits that are devastating our communities.

These amendments are a good step in that direction, and I urge adoption.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley), who has been a longtime leader on the issues of substance abuse.

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

Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition, but I urge adoption of the amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise to urge adoption of the Demings amendment, which requires a report on the mental health issues experienced by law enforcement and the available resources or programs that are available to law enforcement officers to address mental health and stress.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, law enforcement officers report high rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders, with nearly one in four having considered suicide. In fact, more officers die from suicide than do in the line of duty.

The report will include recommendations to Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies on how to improve the mental health and well- being of our officers.

It is a necessary first step in helping us understand what resources are available to improve the mental health and wellness of law enforcement officials. Those risking their lives to keep America safe deserve passage of this amendment.

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

Madam Speaker, as the designee of the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson), I have an amendment at the desk.

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

I rise to express my strong support for the Ferguson amendment, which would incorporate the language of the bipartisan, House-passed Behavioral Intervention Guidelines Act to the underlying package.

This important amendment authorizes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop best practices for establishing and appropriately using behavioral intervention teams in schools.

Behavioral intervention teams are multidisciplinary teams that support students' mental health and wellness by identifying students experiencing stress, anxiety, or other behavioral disturbances, and conducting intervention and outreach to these students to help manage risk.

These teams are already active in some educational settings, such as Texas Tech and the University of California, Los Angeles.

By acting in a proactive manner to assist students and connecting them with needed resources, behavioral intervention teams help schools create a safe environment for their students and improve mental health outcomes in young people.

It is more important now than ever that schools and communities have guidance on how to provide behavioral health resources and interventions for their students to facilitate the early intervention and treatment of mental health conditions.

This amendment will help children get help before their conditions worsen or reach a crisis level. I strongly urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Griffith amendment which provides additional time for implementation of the provisions of the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act included in this bill.

I supported the inclusion of this language at committee, as I believe it will help increase access to substance use disorder treatment, the underlying language. However, enacting this language will be a huge policy change from the status quo.

Furthermore, States do regulate the practice of medicine, and each State has unique, individual regulations and procedures regarding the dispensing and the prescribing of scheduled narcotics. States could use the additional time to update their laws with any changes they may want now that Federal restrictions will be removed.

This is exactly what Mr. Griffith's amendment does. It sets the implementation date for removing the X waiver requirement to take effective on January 1, 2024.

Madam Speaker, I support this commonsense amendment that will ensure that the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act gets appropriately implemented.